


mirror, mirror

by vivixn



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad Ending, M/M, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Spoilers, True Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-07-28 05:39:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16235288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivixn/pseuds/vivixn
Summary: When Akira opened his eyes, he had expected to find the pristine, white ceiling of his childhood bedroom but instead, he found himself on a train headed straight back to Shibuya in another alternate life where he had accepted Yaldabaoth’s deal.With a corrupted version of himself basking in the fame and glory of the Phantom Thieves, Akira needs to find a way to put an end to the Metaverse once again, even if that means working with the man who nearly killed him back in his own world.





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of the train’s horn blaring startled Akira awake, causing a tiny gasp to fall from his lips in surprise. With the grogginess and confusion fogging up his mind, it was almost as if he were waking up from a dream. Blinking slowly, Akira glanced around blearily at his surroundings and uttered a perplexed noise.

He was sitting down on a train with a few people scattered around. Most of them were quiet, as they glanced down their phones. There were a few folks whispering amongst themselves, but Akira could barely hear what they were talking about with some piercing noise penetrating through his head.

Akira released a grunt and dropped his head onto his hand, before rubbing his aching head. His cool hand did nothing to ease the excruciating pain that kept stabbing at his brain. Fluttering his eyes closed, he tried to think past what had happened before he woke up on the train.

After gathering his jumbled thoughts together, Akira finally managed to make some sort of sense of what he had been doing. The last thing he recalled was him finally heading home after a long year living in the attic of Café Leblanc.

He had just said farewell to his friends after making a grand escape with the van they had acquired. Once they had reached his hometown, the ache in his heart felt too raw when he saw the sorrow on his friends’ faces as he told his goodbyes. 

Then, after growing familiar with his parents’ presence once again, he had fallen asleep in his old bed with Morgana curled up next to him. The exhaustion had taken its toll on him and he was out like a nightlight.

Waking up, Akira had expected to see the pristine, white ceiling of his childhood room but instead, he was struck with the sight of a familiar train.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Akira slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the bag in his lap. He zipped it open, almost expecting Morgana to pop his head out with an irritated hiss. However, it was empty, and the dark void of his bag caused some anxiety to well up in his chest.

After shifting his eyes towards the ground with an intense, gray stare for a few seconds, Akira peered around the train once again, somehow hoping to find answers among the small crowd of people. With a small glimpse outside of the train window, Akira noticed the sun beaming which indicated it was daytime.

He turned away from the window, hoping for a sign that would aid him in his befuddlement over the bizarre situation. However, there were no clues as he observed each person carefully and just when Akira was about to give up to text a friend on his phone, an animated voice broke through his thoughts.

“The Phantom Thieves are back at it again!” The declaration startled Akira to jerking his head towards a man voicing his excitement. Processing the man’s exclamation, a startled noise spilled out of him as his gray eyes grew wide in shock.

Akira focused intently on the man, who appeared to be in his late twenties, and paid attention closely to the discussion he was initiating with another young woman. The man continued to talk and soon garnered the attention of the small group of people in the train.

“They’re showing no signs of stopping. Eventually, all the criminals are going to confess and soon, we’ll be in a world with no corruption,” the man said with a wide grin. At the man’s statement, everyone broke into whispers. There were exhilarated murmurs, as well as a few doubtful mutters among the people.

As the chattering of the people grew, Akira’s disbelieving stare shifted down to his lap, his eyes unblinking as he tried to process the news.

The Phantom Thieves? He hadn’t heard about them in such a positive light since they were going through Okumura’s palace. Then, there was that other time they gathered the support of the public with their fight with Yaldabaoth where they disbanded their group not long after.

After all, the Metaverse was no longer, alongside with Mementos. The world was in a much better place now. They reached the decision that they were going to trust Sae and leave everything to the adults in society.

But now, as the people on the train whispered their support, Akira couldn’t figure out what the hell was happening. Furrowing his eyebrows together, Akira reached for his phone and thankfully, it was still in the pocket of his coat.

Akira tapped the home button to his phone, watching as the screen lit up. At the sight of the date, his frown grew deeper as he stared at it blankly.

March 21st was the date written on his phone. Just yesterday, March 20th, Akira was in the van with his friends, heading back to his hometown. But now, Akira somehow managed to make it on a train the day after he had made it to his house.

He didn’t know how he got there nor did he have a clue where this train was headed. But just like that, almost like an answer to his prayers, a voice responded to his question.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today,” the speaker announced above him. Frowning, Akira listened carefully as the voice continued to talk. “We’ll be arriving at Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines.”

The train was headed to Shibuya?

Biting his lips in thought, Akira shifted his gaze to the window, watching as the familiar landscape zoomed past his vision. The murmuring of the people’s thoughts on the Phantom Thieves were a distant sound in his head. He was contemplating more about his next course of action than the praises being rained down on their disbanded group.

Akira needed to head to Café Leblanc. If everything goes well, Sojiro would have answers for him.

 

 

 

Just yesterday, Akira had walked down the streets of Yongen-Jaya as he was leaving, mournful of his last moments in the town. But now, there was a disassociation as he ventured closer to his destination. He was very familiar to the sight of the streets that he walked through the past year, but he wasn’t used to the posters that were practically everywhere, singing its approval for the Phantom Thieves. ‘Take Their Hearts’ were written on the red posters scattered everywhere, along with the similar design of the mask and hat.

Akira also wasn’t used to the murmurs of the townspeople. He had never heard so many people talking about the Phantom Thieves at once. Their popularity seemed to be skyrocketing to a bemusing extent.

He walked towards Café Leblanc, almost expecting to find Futaba sitting on the sidewalk next to the coffee shop. But as he neared the entrance, Akira couldn’t help but be disappointed that there were no signs of her. He was hoping she’d be there to clear up his confusion.

He was about to enter Café Leblanc, but a sight had him pausing in bewilderment at the bizarreness of it. As usual, Sojiro was behind the counter. However, it was the person that he was talking to that had him freezing in incredulity.

Sitting in front of Sojiro was Akira himself, sipping his coffee with a soft smile. At the sight of himself, Akira had frozen and a disbelieving, choked gasp slipped out.

It was as if his brain spluttered to a stop and his body broke down. It was difficult to get his stiff body to move away from the door because it felt as if he had turned to stone. Shaking his head in horror, he moved away from their line of sight.

What the fuck was going on?

That seemed to be the only thought racing frantically across Akira’s mind. Did he somehow die in his sleep last night and ended up in the afterlife? Or did monsters take over the world and the person inside wearing the same face as him was somehow a shapeshifter?

Did he somehow get dumped into some alternate world?

Akira peered into the café again, blanching at the clone sitting inside. They seemed to be having a discussion, but he couldn’t hear a single word with the door blocking the way and making their voices indecipherable.

Some part of Akira wanted to enter the café and ask the person with the same features as him exactly what was going on. However, Akira believed it might’ve been better if he played his cards right and continue observing his duplicate. He didn’t want to raise any alarm bells just yet.

It wasn’t long before his double stood up and faced the door, causing Akira to jerk his head back in panic. He took a few, loud steps back to hide behind a wall. Eventually, the sound of a chime resounded in the air, indicating that the door had opened. He kept his body hidden, not wanting to find himself in the center of his counterpart’s attention.

“You better not get into any trouble, kid. There’re too many crimes happening these days. I swear there’s at least three new criminals confessing each day,” Akira heard Sojiro’s stern voice trailing out the door.

At Sojiro’s statement, Akira frowned in thought. From what he remembered, there wasn’t an excessive amount of crimes these days. The times he did check the news, any misconduct was usually on the low spectrum which would relieve Akira and his friends.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior.” Akira heard himself say as footsteps approached closer to where he was hiding. “I’ll be at Shibuya.”

The door then shut closed and his other self began to head towards the train station. When his duplicate walked past the spot Akira was hiding, Akira ducked behind a trash can, so he wouldn’t be seen. With his eyebrows furrowed in concern, Akira watched as his double strode past him with a deadpan look on his face, a steely glint in his stone-gray eyes.

“Interesting,” Akira muttered under his breath, almost scoffing at the incredulity of the situation. He watched carefully at his counterpart’s back, skepticism nearly consuming him as he continued to observe himself.

They were identical in physical appearance and they sounded the exact same. The two of them were nearly the same person. However, the expression on the other guy’s face appeared inhospitable, almost frigid, and it wasn’t a look that Akira would imagine himself to have.

Although, Akira was fully aware he was reserved and often seemed to be indifferent. Despite his calm exterior, Akira’s internal emotions were always scorching hot in his chest, almost nagging for him to expel it somehow. It was why he enjoyed being Joker, a part of himself where he could act freely in the comfort of his friends.

At first, he thought about trailing after his duplicate to Shibuya but after some contemplating, Akira decided that it was best to go inside Café Leblanc. He might gain a vague idea on what was happening if he talked to Sojiro.

After waiting at least a few minutes to see if the other him would return, Akira walked into Café Leblanc with no solid plan on what to discuss with Sojiro. The clang of the bell resounded loudly as Akira stepped into the familiar shop.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Akira slowly shifted his eyes towards Sojiro, who arched his eyebrow at him in bemusement. Akira opened his mouth, only to shut it again as the moisture in his mouth dried out. It was as if his mind had shut down and he couldn’t form a single thought.

Akira stared at Sojiro, his lips pressed down to deep frown. When Sojiro got the hint that Akira wasn’t going to utter a word, the older man sighed deeply before speaking.

“Exactly what happened to going to Shibuya?” Sojiro inquired in exasperation, shaking his head in disapproval as he narrowed his eyes at Akira. When Akira didn’t respond, Sojiro’s stare turned softer and there was a hint of worry as he questioned Akira. “Did something dangerous happened? I swear there’s always a crime happening around every corner.” The older man examined Akira from head to toe, searching for a sign of injury.

Akira shook his head silently before letting a series of words spill from his lips.

“Sorry, I forgot to bring a jacket. It’s a bit chilly outside,” Akira said, as he glanced down at his body. He was already wearing his typical black blazer which was warm enough for the cool weather. He could’ve definitely came up with a better excuse.

Sojiro must’ve been in the same line of thought as Akira because he eyed the curly-haired teenager suspiciously, staring at the black coat he was wrapped up in.

“Really?” Sojiro asked doubtfully, apprehensive eyes piercing into Akira, who only smiled uncertainly in response before he was ascending the stairs to his attic. With how strange things have been so far, he was almost expecting the room to be decorated in a horrid way.

However, a quick glimpse around the room proved it to be similar to what he was used to. There were a few odd differences such as the lack of gifts on the shelves that Akira recalled gathering from his friends and it was a bit messier than what Akira was used to.

He walked carefully to the container where he normally stored his clothes and grabbed his light gray hoodie. Shuffling out of his black blazer, Akira placed the hoodie on before putting his black coat back on.

With one last glance around the attic, Akira descended down the stairs. As he was walking towards the exit with the intentions of heading to Shibuya to find his double, Sojiro spoke up.

“It’s not _that_ cold outside, is it?” There was a dubious tone to Sojiro’s voice.

“Just making sure I don’t freeze to death. I’m really not sure if I want to become a human popsicle,” said Akira, a soft laugh slipping out of him. It didn’t sound natural, but he wasn’t certain if he could pull off a genuine response with all the weird shit currently going on.

“Real funny,” Sojiro said with an exasperated sigh before he turned away to make coffee.

Just before he opened the door, Akira turned his head back towards Sojiro. He wanted to ask about Futaba who he was meaning to contact soon. Back in the train, Akira was too focused on the hype on the Phantom Thieves to send a text to his friends.

“Is Futaba at your house right now?” Akira asked hesitantly, not liking the silence of the café when Sojiro didn’t respond immediately.

“Futaba?” Sojiro finally asked strangely, his head tilted in confusion. The odd response had Akira frowning, as he scrunched his eyebrows together in uneasiness. He didn’t like the way Sojiro had responded as if Akira had suddenly brought up aliens for a conversation.

It was almost as if Sojiro had no clue who Futaba was.

“Yeah, I need to talk to her really quick before I head out,” Akira said, staring at Sojiro with concern. Sojiro wasn’t normally this baffled by Akira asking about Futaba.

The last time he was remotely close to acting this addled with Akira inquiring about the younger girl was when he had asked the older man about Futaba right after Alibaba had contacted him to change her heart.

“Who’s Futaba? Is that one of your friends?”

Akira stared at Sojiro blankly, mouth open in disbelief. With dread overpowering his head, Akira couldn’t think of a single reply. The older man had to be joking with him, right? He was certain that Futaba was the most important person in the older man’s life. Sojiro cherished her as if she were his own daughter.

“Your _daughter?”_ Akira said, his voice pitching up towards the end of his words in uncertainty. He wasn’t sure if he knew where he managed to find himself anymore. Akira was pretty sure he landed himself in hell.

There was an enormous chance he died in his sleep last night and his soul somehow drifted into some strange hell where he had an identical twin and Futaba didn’t _exist._ Morgana’s most likely scratching his face off right now trying to wake him up but it’s a huge shame Akira decided a heart attack was the best return home gift to his parents.

He was living in a fucking nightmare.

But nightmares wouldn’t have Akira at the height of the Phantom Thieves’ popularity. On his way to Leblanc, there were practically people praising the group as if they were the messiah. Even at that particular moment, Akira could hear the news anchor commending the Phantom Thieves.

“What…?” Sojiro asked oddly, staring at him strangely. The wary question snapped Akira out of his train of thoughts and he snapped his wide eyes on Sojiro, who looked like he was growing impatient with him.

Swallowing the heavy lump in his throat, Akira cleared his throat and let out a soft laugh. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on and he couldn’t let Sojiro grow suspicious.

“I’m just playing around,” Akira said with a teasing smile, although it was hard to mask the stiffness of his expression. It was often so easy for Akira to put on a polite façade for the sake of being a good student in society. But now, it was just one of the hardest tasks to do.

“Stop acting so strange and just get out of here, kid,” Sojiro muttered, staring at him curiously. Akira nodded and opened the door, eager to leave the suffocating café. He needed to gather his thoughts and plan his next move.

He couldn’t rely on Sojiro.

Not when there was some imposter impersonating as him.

Not when Sojiro has no clue on who Futaba might be.

“I’ll be back soon, dad,” Akira joked half-heartedly, even though his heart was beating in his chest furiously. He was certain that he was actually going to get a heart attack if it continued pulsing as fast as a rabbit.

“Don’t come back ever!” Sojiro nagged after him. The lighthearted tone of Sojiro’s voice had Akira slightly relaxing as he darted towards the train station.

He needed to find the duplicate. 

From here on out, Akira was certain the mystery was only going to grow bigger.

 

 

 

The nightmare only continued to spiral out of control.

On the train ride back to Shibuya, Akira had pulled out his phone and scrolled down his contacts in a frenzy. This time around, Akira ignored the people advocating for the Phantom Thieves. He needed to contact a friend and gain more insight on his bizarre position.

“Come on, come on,” Akira gritted out, searching through his phone list for the third time in a row. He couldn’t find any sign of Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, or Ann in his contacts. The names simply weren’t in his phone anymore. It was almost like they disappeared from existence and it was driving Akira insane.

After the fifth time of scrolling, Akira simply gave up and glared down the train floor in vexation. Why were his friends no longer in his phone? If Akira could, he would toss his phone down and scream in frustration.

His friends were no longer with him to clue him in.

“This is insane,” Akira whispered, suddenly feeling exhausted. His body slumped in fatigue, weighed down by the load of abnormality surrounding him.

All he wanted was to wake up in his warm bed with Morgana by his side. After a long tiring year, Akira only wanted a break. But now, he was involved in this cluttered mess of a world. It wasn’t even that long ago Akira was fighting against Yaldabaoth to gain free will for the public.

Once Akira arrived at Shibuya Station, he pulled his gray hoodie over his unkempt hair. He didn’t want anyone to recognize him, especially not the guy parading around as him. Akira wasn’t ready for a conversation. He wanted to know what the deal was before pulling off anything major.

On his way out of Shibuya Station, Akira glanced around. It was already evening which meant the skies were dark and Station Square was lit up from the large television screens on the buildings on Central Street.

As he wandered around the corner where Yoshida normally performed his speeches, Akira found a huge audience gathered. However, a quick glimpse to the right proved that Yoshida wasn’t making his weekly speech. He stepped closer to the crowd, curious to find out what they were so focused on.

It didn’t take long for Akira to figure out that the people were staring at the large screen across Central Street. With how much support has risen for the Phantom Thieves, Akira wasn’t surprised to see that the public were focused on the news.

_“There are reports that the Phantom Thieves have changed the hearts of two hundred cases. The rates of crimes and suicides are only continuing to decline as time passes- “_

Akira’s attention shifted from the screen to the crowd as their admiration of the Phantom Thieves only swelled louder. People were animatedly chattering about the Phantom Thieves like they were the embodiment of justice. However, Akira’s discomfort only deepened at the squeals of delight from the public.

“You hear that? The Phantom Thieves are at it again!” One student exclaimed in glee. “The police should just stop trying already. They’re not solving a single case these days.”

“Right?!” A woman replied, approval etched on her face. “It’s because of them that new cases are being exposed. I swear the police are so incompetent compared to the Phantom Thieves.”

Akira swallowed dryly, as he moved his eyes away from the pair and looked around the audience. Most of them were singing their praises about the group with not a single person speaking against the Phantom Thieves.

As his gray eyes darted across the crowd, his attention landed on a _familiar_ curly-haired person. Standing in the middle of the crowd was himself or at least the other version of himself. The _other_ Akira had been a part of the crowd, most likely listening to everyone croon their approval. With a stifled gasp, Akira took a few steps back and packed himself in the corner of the green train near Shibuya station, not wanting to be anywhere near the guy.

And just his luck, his counterpart turned around, causing Akira to reach up with his shaking hand and pull his hoodie further down. He kept his head towards the ground with his back to the wall, still as his duplicate walked past him.

Carefully, Akira peeked at his other self, who was only a few feet away. His eyes trailed up to steal a glimpse at the other’s face where Akira found himself wavering in surprise as he took another step back, crashing into the wall behind him.

He was certain that the duplicate didn’t hear him but just to be sure, Akira reached with both of his hands to tug his hoodie down harder and stared silently at the ground. After a few seconds had passed, Akira decided the coast was clear and glanced around to see if his counterpart was still around.

There was no sign of him.

With a frown, Akira bit his lips in concern, staring thoughtfully at the people roaming around Station Square.

Akira only glimpsed briefly but the split second that he was able to decipher the expression on the other’s face greatly disturbed him. It was a look on his own face that Akira was unaccustomed to.

There was a wicked smirk on the other’s face, alongside with narrowed gray eyes that were gleaming with nefarious intent. There was also a dark shadow casted upon his face that emphasized the malicious expression and as the duplicate walked past him, Akira could’ve sworn he hear an unpleasant chuckle rumbling from him.

It was such an unexpected look on his _own_ face. There was no way Akira had ever made such a foul expression before.

Sure, he always smirked that cocky smile of his whenever he was under his Joker muse. He always felt more confident as the leader and his expression was always a natural representation of him. It wasn’t a lie that he was a self-assured person in the Metaverse.

However, he was certain that he had never smiled with such malice on his face. It was _that_ particular look on his other’s face that had a shudder racing down his spine.

Well, any intentions of confronting his other self just flew right out the window. Akira didn’t even want to step within a ten feet radius with the double. He looked fucking insane and Akira had no clue on what had caused such an expression to materialize on the other’s face.

Akira was almost scared to learn the reason behind the expression.

Was it the public worshipping the Phantom Thieves? His identical must’ve been standing in the crowd for awhile now, basking in the fame of the group. There was no other reason for him to be listening to the news.

Shit, did the glory go to his head?

With the way his identical self was smiling in sinful pleasure, that might’ve been the case.

Akira never really thought much of the popularity of the Phantom Thieves. Sure, it was a bonus to all the work they were doing but he cared more deeply about reaching inside someone’s heart and altering their corrupted self to a positive stance. He wanted to fight for the fairness of the people.

During their Phantom Thieves’ days, all the members had a similar mindset, and even though Ryuji thought it was ‘neat’ to be seen as heroes, he never let it get to his head.

Now that he was here, there was also the disappearance of all his friends to consider. That must’ve meant the Phantom Thieves only consisted of one thief now, unless his double had managed to find more people to join his cause.

Did his other self had less than ideal motives for continuing the Phantom Thieves’ work? If the Metaverse still exists, then it was possible he had accepted Yaldabaoth’s deal.

Akira narrowed his eyes, considering the option. It would’ve made sense if he was somehow swung into a world where he had said yes to the public losing their free will. That would’ve explained Mementos and the Metaverse still existing, along with the Phantom Thieves. As well as his friends being gone. They must’ve still been in the Velvet Room, waiting for him to save them.

Akira felt sick and the churning nausea in his stomach only continued to build as he thought more about the possibility of saying yes to Yaldabaoth’s offer.

There was also the idea from earlier of the evil shapeshifter taking over his body who somehow managed to erase all his friends from existence? Unfortunately, after some thought, the theory made the least sense no matter how much Akira wanted it to.

In another life, if Akira was truly that twisted and selfish, he would’ve said yes to Yaldabaoth.

Akira let out a jaded sigh, shaking his head as he pushed himself off the wall and shuffled towards the crowd, glancing back up the huge screen.

He needed more answers.

Just like that, it was as if an angel answered his prayers.

_“We have a very special guest on our show today. A detective who has been vocal on the subject of the Phantom Thieves since the very beginning. Please welcome, Akechi Goro!”_

Akira silently gasped, invested in the screen as the camera switched to Akechi Goro, who smiled politely. How was it possible Akechi was on the screen, looking very alive? Didn’t he die all those months ago in the boiler room?

A flood of strong emotions overwhelmed Akira at the sight of the prince detective. Akira exhaled shakily, shaking his head in denial as his eyes stung with unshed tears. He was certainly relieved, but he wasn’t going to cry. Akira was a stronger leader than this. He already buried his emotions the moment he learned Akechi didn’t make it.

There was no point in mourning a dead guy, especially one that had intentions on murdering him.

Except… Akechi was  _alive_ and the definition of composed as he attentively listened to the interviewer’s questions. His respectful façade didn’t crack at the mere mention of the Phantom Thieves.

 _“How are you feeling about the Phantom Thieves these days?”_ The female interviewer asked, staring at Akechi with interest.

Akira frowned as he focused on the screen. He might gain a deeper understanding on the situation if he paid attention to Akechi’s interview. He just hoped Akechi won’t act as unusual as Sojiro and his counterpart.

 _“The Phantom Thieves are definitely a force not to be reckoned with,”_ Akechi finally said, his reddish-brown eyes narrowed thoughtfully. _“They may have the endorsement of the public. However, I still have a few reservations on accepting them as the criminal justice system.”_

“Akechi…” Akira whispered, partially relieved that he hadn’t succumbed to the Phantom Thieves’ side.

It was almost a relief to see the same attitude from the young detective as before. It must’ve meant that he wasn’t sucked into the mindless belief that the Phantom Thieves were the epitome of justice.

Akira would rather take a murderous Akechi than a brainwashed one any day.

 _“That’s an interesting way to think.”_ The interviewer said in surprise, before jumping into her next question. _“How about the competition? I know there have been plenty of people questioning on whether or not we need the police now that we have the Phantom Thieves?”_

Akechi chuckled, sounding amused at the thought, but his eyes turned sharp at the question. His respectful smile was still there but the stiffness of his body indicated that he wasn’t comfortable with the implication.

It was a bit of a comfort to Akira that he was still able to read the detective after so long.

 _“If the public truly believes the Phantom Thieves is our source of justice, then I suppose we would have to consider working with them,”_ Akechi said amiably, a charming smile on his face. _“If anything, I implore for them to reach out to us. I’m sure the police department would love to learn the ways of the Phantom Thieves.”_

Akechi’s response caused the people surrounding Akira to burst into loud chatters but he paid no mind to them. He only had eyes for Akechi, who only continued to stay unruffled even though the audience on the screen erupted into disbelieving whispers.

 _“That leaves me to my final question,” t_ he interviewer said, before leaning near Akechi with a serious expression. _“There has been reports of the Phantom Thieves changing the hearts of your coworkers in the police. Do you think they’re going to attempt to change your heart soon?”_

Akira blinked uncertainly, tilting his head at the question.

There was no possible way Akechi could have a change of heart. The last time he saw Akechi, he very well still had a persona. Well, two personas actually and Morgana had always insisted that a change of heart was impossible for a persona user.

 _“I must say, that’s an intriguing question_ ,” Akechi hummed as he placed a finger on his chin in thought. Then, the smile on his face widened as he answered. _“Maybe a change of heart is just exactly what I need. After all, they’ve garnered the strong support of the public. It's somewhat unbelievable.”_

Akira swallowed, as he watched the interview fixedly. The young detective was playing around with his audience. Both Akira and Akechi were aware that there wasn’t an option for them to have a change of heart.

Was it to gain the attention of his other self?

 _“So, I insist, take my heart,”_ Akechi declared assuredly, his smile deepening into a mischievous one. Akira stared at the display in shock, stunned to see Akechi break from his usual polished exterior. Akechi’s voice took a challenging tone as he stated, _“Well, if they can manage to even do so.”_

The screen soon turned to another news outlet after the interviewer laughed nervously and ended the interview, leaving Akira staring up at the screen in bewilderment, as he wondered what the hell was going on for the millionth time. It wasn’t long before the voices of the crowd reached his ears.

“I bet Akechi is only jumping on the bandwagon, especially with his popularity down the drain,” a girl muttered in disappointment. Akira looked at her in dismay, not approving of the revulsion in her voice. However, she was joined by an army of disapproving people.

“What a fake. He’s only pandering to us,” another person declared with disgust in their voice.

“Have you heard the rumors about him?”

“Oh, the ones about being behind the mental shutdowns?” At that, Akira jerked his head towards the man.

“It’s true! An employee under Shido leaked that Akechi worked under him. He’s definitely murdered people under Shido’s command!”

“But that’s only a rumor,” a school girl spoke up timidly. However, no one seemed to listen to her as they continued dissing Akechi.

“The Phantom Thieves should just take his heart. He’s already really up there on the polls on the Phan-site. I wonder why it hasn’t happened yet,” a man declared, causing Akira to grimace at the animosity in the stranger’s voice.

“I agree, I mean if the police department already had a change of heart, why hasn’t he yet? If he truly murdered under Shido, we’d learn after he confessed.”

“Akechi…” Akira whispered in sympathy, frowning as he turned away from the crowd. He needed to leave the crowd. The toxic remarks were starting to bother him and the admiration for the Phantom Thieves were overpowering any other opinions.

However, Akira supposed it was good that Akechi was here. Out of all the terrible things that have happened today, Akechi was one of the best parts. Although, Akira supposed it was quite horrible if Akechi, who previously tried to murder him, was the upside of this whole situation.

As he walked towards Shibuya Station, Akira pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts list once again.

Akira stared intently at Akechi’s contact information, wondering if he should give the detective a call. It was possible that Akechi could fill him in on what was happening, especially since he didn’t seem as admiring of the Phantom Thieves as the rest of the public.

Just as Akira made his decision and aimed his thumb to press the call button, a familiar voice resounded in his ears.

_“Please help.”_

Akira breathed in sharply, gray eyes wide as he jerked his head up at the blue butterfly flapping its wings right in front of him. 

_“You have to help.”_

“Lavenza,” Akira whispered in realization, his whole body tense as the blue butterfly continued to flutter across his vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's rarely any stories of the bad ending of Persona 5 and that makes me sad, especially since I find Akira interesting in the bad ending. Since there's not too many stories in the Persona 5 fandom as well, I decided I wanted to take part! Also, I love reading stories of time travel and alternate worlds so I couldn't help making this story. Also, I'm not sure if I should have the other Akira stick with the same name or if I should have it as Ren for it to be more simple.
> 
> Any suggestions? I would love to hear feedback on anything about the story! There will eventually be Akeshu later in the story. Although, I'm still planning on how the story should continue. More tags to be added later as well because I'm not real good at it.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

“Lavenza,” Akira breathed out, as his wide eyes followed the gleaming blue butterfly floating across his vision. He stood up straighter as he continued watching her cautiously, afraid that she was going to disappear any moment. “What’s going on, Lavenza? Where am I?”

His mind flashed back to just the day before, where he had seen Lavenza to tell her farewell. In return, Lavenza had gifted him a key, one that was supposed to open the cell that he was held captive in. A key that was supposed to help him break free from any trials that may confine him later on.

However, Lavenza had informed him that he had already picked the path of true freedom so that would mean there shouldn’t be any more obstacles in his way. Akira was _supposed_ to be living a life of peace, comfort, and quiet.

But now, Akira was thrusted back into a world where troubles seemed to be around every corner. From what he had seen so far on the news, crimes appeared to be happening more than it had ever been before and it was horrifying how everyone accepted it as if it was the norm for them.

Akira couldn’t just stand there and watch it all happen. It was no better than before when Yaldabaoth declared that humanity desired nothing more than to be controlled. The notion sickened Akira, especially when he realized the public looked up to the Phantom Thieves, as if they were the ones to lead society to glory.

 _“Trickster,”_ her voice echoing, as she fluttered around. Akira’s gaze followed the blue butterfly, almost afraid to learn more about the current situation. _“I beg of you, please change this world’s fate.”_

“What do you mean by that?” Akira asked, fearing his suspicions may be true. Nothing about what he had seen since he had woken up in the train had indicated anything good so far. It was as if he had woken up in a nightmare he couldn’t escape from.

 _“You’re our only hope,”_ Lavenza whispered. _“If you wish to return to your world, you must join arms again with your companions, even the one you were plotted to oppose.”_

“So, I’m not where I’m supposed to be,” Akira murmured, once Lavenza confirmed his assumptions.

The moment Akira had heard the whispers of the people about the Phantom Thieves, there was a lingering suspicion that dwelled inside him that suggested he wasn’t in the place he was supposed to. Then, once he had made it to Café Leblanc, the sight of himself had already affirmed what he was thinking before.

Akira didn’t belong here.

However, Akira didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to believe that fate was so cruel to have placed him in another tyrannical reality once he had finally made it home. He was finally at a point in his life where he had the acknowledgement and understanding of his friends.

 _“If this world has any desire for free choice, it has to be you that fixes it,”_ Lavenza uttered. _“You have to break free from the chains that have kept you captive in this fixed scheme and save yourself from ruin’s hold.”_

The problem with what Lavenza had just said was that he had already broken free from the chains that had held him captive, which contradicted what she had asked of him. But maybe, just maybe, Lavenza wasn’t talking about him specifically. It was possible she was talking about his other self, the him that existed in this world.

“Are you talking about the person who looks like me?” Akira asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern as a frown developed on his face. “What happened to him?”

Earlier, at the praises and compliments hailed down on the Phantom Thieves, the dark smirk on his double’s face had widened, most likely thriving on the fame the group had accumulated. It was clear to Akira how corrupted his other self from this world had become.

It was difficult for Akira to grasp the idea that he could turn into someone as debased as that. His mind automatically rejected the notion, denial sprouting at the very core of his thoughts.

That person wasn’t him. There was no way it could be.

If it was him, then he was no better than the targets he himself had taken down.

He was no better than Yaldabaoth, the evil god who had declared that humanity desired nothing more than to be ruled over. He was no better than Shido, who ordered hits on his opponents so he could become Prime Minister. He was no better than Akechi, the prince detective who had caused the mental breakdowns and solved those cases for his own popularity.

He had become everything the Phantom Thieves had fought against.

But despite it all, underneath all the corruption, that _person_ was still him. There was no denying it.

“No…” Akira tensed, before painfully choking out the cold truth, “What happened to _me?”_

 _“You derailed down another path than the one you were intended to take_ ,” Lavenza whispered, her voice filled with melancholy. Akira could almost imagine the disappointment on her face as she continued to talk, _“You’ve simply made the wrong decision with the belief it was for the best and in turn, it had changed you and the world for the worst.”_

If he had made the wrong decision, then it was likely he did accept Yaldabaoth’s deal. Akira had damned the world, as well as himself. For what motive, Akira wasn’t certain. It could’ve been fame, popularity, or for reasons Akira didn’t know.

So now, Lavenza was relying on Akira, the one who had succeeded, to try to save society from Yaldabaoth’s influence and his “evil twin.”

But he no longer had his friends to rely on since there hadn’t been any signs of them from the moment he had woken up in this hellish world. How was he supposed to fix the world without the support of his allies?

“You said I was supposed to join with my friends but from what it seems, the Phantom Thieves are now a one man show and the others…” Akira paused, as he recalled his meeting with Sojiro, who had no clue who Futaba was. He shook his head sadly, before saying, “They don’t even seem to exist anymore.”

_“Except for one.”_

The statement had Akira blinking in contemplation, as he quickly connected the dots. Out of all the Phantom Thieves, there was only one former member who still seemed to exist in this place.

“Do you mean Akechi?” Akira questioned, as he recollected Lavenza’s words from earlier. “Is that what you meant when you said, ‘even the one you were plotted to oppose’?”

There were only more questions appearing in his mind. 

How was it that Akechi still existed when no one else in the Phantom Thieves seemed to? How did Akechi survive after Futaba had told him that he didn’t make it out alive in the boiler room? Would Akechi even side with him or was he still under Yaldabaoth’s control?

 _“I’m afraid I can’t speak to you for much longer without capturing the attention of the malevolent deity,”_ Lavenza murmured, as the butterfly began to flicker. The sight of her flashing out of existence had Akira widening his eyes in alarm, as he reached his hand out for her in desperation.

“Wait, Lavenza, you can’t just leave. I still know nothing of this place,” Akira whispered harshly, heart pounding in anxiety at the thought of being left alone.

Once Lavenza leaves, he was going to have no clue on how to move forward. The only inkling Akira had going for him was everything he did correct in his own world which meant going deeper into the heart of Mementos, without the aid of his comrades.

Except for _possibly_ one person – the _one_ person who tried murdering him in his reality.

 _“Just recall the bonds of your friends. If you do that, then you can accomplish anything,”_ Lavenza stated softly, before uttering one last plea. _“So, Trickster, please save us from this cruel fate.”_

Then, the blue butterfly vanished from thin air, leaving Akira with more questions than answers. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Akira peered around him, wondering if he caught the attention of any bystanders.

Thankfully, no one seemed to have their eyes on him since most of the people appeared to be shuffling in and out of Shibuya Station. Akira was still along the sidelines of Station Square, since he hadn’t been able to go inside of Shibuya Station once Lavenza had called for him.

But now that Lavenza was gone, Akira felt lonelier than ever.

How could he do anything without the help of his companions? Even when he was bombarded with obstacles, Akira had his friends to accompany him. But now, he was alone in this strange world.

He wished he had at least one friend with him. If Morgana was here, he would most likely be full of advice on how he should be acting.

“Great,” Akira muttered, gripping the phone in his fist tightly.

Then, he brought the device back up, fully intending on returning to what he was seeking to do earlier. Akira had planned on calling Akechi earlier, just so he could find more answers. But now that he had listened to Lavenza’s request, he supposed it was necessary for him to coax Akechi on his side somehow.

That is, if Akechi was willing to listen to him.

Akira knew nothing of the Akechi from this world. The last time Akira had seen Akechi physically, the detective had glared hatefully at him with loathing on his face as he attempted to dispose of him and his teammates.

After their battle, there was one final plea from Akechi, who begged Akira to end Shido’s reign once and for all and then, Akechi’s readings disappeared, along with the cognitive version of him.

Akira just had to hope that Akechi would believe him, if he even allowed Akira to talk. Even then, he supposed everything that will spill from his lips would just sound like nonsense.

Narrowing his eyes in resolve, Akira unlocked his phone. As his thumb hovered over his contacts app, aiming to call Akechi, a certain app from the corner of his eyes caught his attention.

The Metaverse Navigator was easily noticeable, with the way the logo of the red eye visibly glowed on his home screen, looking just as ominous as all the other times Akira had seen it.

“You’re joking,” Akira whispered disbelievingly, as he tapped on the app. The familiar display of a map popped up on his screen, along with the app symbol positioned on his current location.

He supposed he should’ve been expecting the Meta-Nav but the sight of it was still shocking nonetheless. It was strange seeing it on his phone again. After the Phantom Thieves had defeated Yaldabaoth, the app had disappeared from his phone and had never returned.

Until now, that is.

Akira supposed Lavenza had to be the reason it was on his phone once again. He did need a way to fight against Yaldabaoth and _surely_ , Lavenza wasn’t expecting for him to just rely on his wits and willpower alone. If that were the case, he’d be destroyed in a matter of seconds.

Akira bit his lip, deliberating on whether or not he should go into a little trip to the Metaverse. But after contemplating about it for a few seconds, Akira decided he should save it for another day. He didn’t have a clear plan to operate by if he journeyed into the Metaverse now and venturing alone sounded like a dangerous idea.

Akira had other plans for now.

He exited out of the Meta-Nav and pressed on his contacts app, scrolling up to Akechi’s name. With his body thrumming with anxiety, Akira once again tapped onto Akechi’s contact information and pressed the button to call the detective. Breathing in shakily, Akira waited nervously as the rings came through.

Akira just had to hope that Akechi wasn’t already teaming up with his other self. He wouldn’t be able to handle his double if Akechi was supporting him, especially since Akira wasn’t certain if he’d be able to find any other persona users other than Akechi to side with him.

However, from the way Akechi had formed his opinions on the Phantom Thieves, Akira had to assume that the detective disagreed with the group’s tactics.

The way Akechi had acted in the interview was telling enough – from his amiable smile, his careful tone, along with his subtle responses – and to the eyes of bystanders, it might’ve looked like he was compliant but from Akira’s perspective, it appeared as if Akechi was demanding for an explanation and was willing to resort to any means possible, even if that meant asking for his heart to be stolen.

Although, just because Akechi possibly disagreed with this world’s version of him didn’t mean Akira had a better chance winning Akechi over.

It wasn’t until the fifth ring before someone picked up the call, compelling Akira to break out of his string of thoughts, as well as cause his heart to drop in his stomach in a fit of jitters. He wasn’t certain if he was ready to speak to Akechi just yet, especially after months of being convinced that the detective was dead.

 _“Hello,”_ a familiar voice greeted courteously, making Akira exhale out a shuddering breath in apprehension. _“This is Akechi Goro speaking.”_

“…”

Akira couldn’t bring himself to say a word. Everything he had planned on saying to Akechi had split open a hole out of his skull and spewed out, leaving his thoughts to be lacking and his mind vacant.

But in turn, his chest was throbbing, full of emotions that were on the verge of overflowing. Furrowing his eyebrows, Akira frowned and tightened his grip on his phone. He shouldn’t be as emotional as he was.

Akira was a fool, an utter nonsensical idiot.

After this long, he still hadn’t been able to let go of someone he believed to be dead. It was absurd of Akira to be attached to someone he had once considered an enemy.

 _“May I ask who this is?”_ Akechi asked politely.

However, the detective sounded like he was on the brink of hanging up the phone with how tense his voice sounded. Seconds had already flown by since Akechi had greeted him and Akira had yet to say a single word.

Worried that Akechi was going to end the call, Akira spoke up quietly, his voice as soft as a breeze of wind.

“Akechi…”

There was some shuffling noise in the background and there was no immediate answer, causing Akira to stiffen as the silence rolled by, unnerved that Akechi had went quiet.

 _“Amamiya?”_ Akechi’s tone turned cautious, as he continued to talk slowly. The detective spoke quietly, his voice a murmur, as if he didn’t want anyone around him to hear. _“I was wondering if you ever planned on contacting me.”_

The unfamiliar name had Akira raising his eyebrows, as his mind backtracked in perplexion. That name that Akechi had just uttered was not one that he recognized.

“I’m sorry, who?” Akira said, scrunching his face in puzzlement, which garnered a quick response from Akechi.

 _“Is this not Amamiya Ren?”_ Akechi inquired sharply.

“It’s Akira,” he stated, shaking his head at the urgent question. Then, just to clarify any confusion between them, Akira cited his full name. “Kurusu Akira.”

It was silent on the other end.

 _“I apologize, I must’ve mistaken you for someone else,”_ Akechi laughed faintly, his tone moderate once again. Then, Akechi added another statement, sounding a bit strangled. _“You have a voice similar to someone I know.”_

Akira didn’t know exactly how to respond to Akechi’s comment.

Since Akechi had mistaken him for another person, then it was possible that this world’s version of him went by another name, which was something that baffled him. If that was a distinction between the two of them, then how many other different characteristics did Akira have from his other self.

Amamiya Ren. Akira had to keep that name in mind, just in case anyone decided to refer to him by the same name.

A soft sigh suddenly resounded into Akira’s ear, sounding weary and exhausted. 

 _“I’m sorry to end this abruptly but you’ve actually caught me at a bad moment,”_ Akechi stated coolly. _“I’m not exactly sure how you managed to get my number. Nevertheless, I’ll be taking my leave now.”_

“Akechi, wait, I need to talk to you about-”

The line went dead, halting Akira from finishing his sentence.

Releasing a soft sound of chagrin, he shifted the phone from his ear to the front of his face. Frowning in frustration, Akira stared at the screen of his phone blankly, before tapping the call button again without a second thought.

One ring.

Akira bit his lower lip in anticipation, clenching his phone tightly as he pressed it closer to his ear in worry, imploring to some celestial being that Akechi would pick up for a second time.

Two rings.

He rolled his shoulder up, shifting up his book bag which was on the verge of falling down from his shoulder, as he furrowed his eyebrows in worry, dully observing the people bustling in and out of Shibuya Station.

Three rings.

There was still hope. It wasn’t until the fifth ring that Akechi had answered the phone call before. Once the detective picked up, Akira won’t hesitate. He’d explain himself and tell Akechi exactly who he was.

Four rings.

Well, Akechi _did_ pick up on the fifth ring. Akira shouldn’t start questioning himself now. Being pessimistic didn’t help anyone live a splendid lifestyle and such negativity certainly didn’t assist him through his battle with Yaldabaoth.

Five rings.

Doubt was forming quickly. He could sense his restlessness from the way his body refused to stop fidgeting.

Six rings.

Akira let out a groan of disappointment. The call was going to end anytime soon and Akechi still wasn’t answering.

How was Akira going to find Akechi if he didn’t pick up? It wasn’t like he could wait for him like he usually did at Café Leblanc where the detective usually stopped by for a cup of coffee and those random altercations with Akechi could take days, time Akira couldn’t afford to lose.

He needed to solve the issue with this world as quickly as possible, so he could make it back home.

Seven rings.

Still no answer from the _prominent_ prince detective.

Eight rings, before the call headed straight to voicemail.

Akira fucked up. He should’ve explained himself properly when he had the chance to speak to Akechi. Now, he had no idea what his next step should be.

With a hopeless sigh, Akira pulled the phone away from his head and dropped his arm down listlessly.

Everything seemed futile.

He had just finished one game, just to be thrown into another one. Except this time, Akira had no connections, no resources, and no knowledge of this universe. It was as if Lavenza expected him to just know how to weave his way straight to the finish line without any obstacles.

The only thing Akira had going for him was the fact that he shared the same face as his doppelgänger from this reality. Frowning thoughtfully, Akira turned his head towards Shibuya Station contemplatively.

Just maybe having the same appearance as his double could help Akira with a few favors.

Shuffling his bag over his shoulder, Akira headed into Shibuya Station, dead set on his goal of meeting Akechi before the day ended.

 

 

 

The trip to Shinjuku was similar to all the train rides he had taken today. There was an awful amount of talk circulating the Phantom Thieves with people praising the group for taking down one person after another.

Criminals of all types were confessing their crimes – murderers, rapists, drug dealers, thieves, kidnappers, and others of the sort. It was hard for Akira to keep up with the buzz from the public about the amount of crooks revealing their sins just this week. It was way more than Akira pulled off with his friends.

But as the mob of supporters chattered amongst themselves, a fascinating bit of information reached Akira’s ears.

From what the crowd was talking about, it also sounded as if the Phantom Thieves were stealing the hearts of another kind – people who have spoken against the Phantom Thieves.

Apparently, there had been detectives, police officers, judges, lawyers, investigators, agents, and many more who had disagreed with the Thieves’ tactics, only to have their opinions change not long after.

Akira recalled hearing about it briefly during Akechi’s interview, but he didn’t know that it was being taken this far.

It was now a world where people could only approve of the Phantom Thieves. This was no better than a dictatorship, where free thought was snuffed before anyone could think for themselves. In this society, the Phantom Thieves were as awful as all the criminals they hunted.

Just the thought of it all was sickening to Akira.

At this point, all the cheers of approval were starting to sound like a mindless chatter of worshipping. Akira wanted nothing more than to press together his hands to his ears, squeeze his eyes tight, and hope to wake up from this harsh reality.

Instead, he turned to the window with a listless stare, blocking out all the cacophony.

Once he arrived at Shinjuku, which typically came alive during nighttime, Akira headed straight for Crossroads, ignoring the boisterous crowds of people around him. Once he reached the entrance, Akira entered without hesitation.

Thankfully, just as he was used to, Ohya was sitting on a stool at the bar, along with an alcoholic drink in her hands, while Lala was behind the counter of the bar. The two of them were staring at him, surprise depicted on their expressions.

Without pausing to wonder why they were looking at him so oddly, Akira walked up to the two of them.

“I need a favor,” Akira stated firmly, as he took the seat next to Ohya, placing his book bag on the floor.

“Ren! It’s been forever and the first thing you do is ask for a favor?” Ohya accused, narrowing her brown eyes at him in displeasure, causing Akira to tilt his head curiously.

Ren…

Akechi had called him by that exact name earlier when he had heard his voice. Now that Ohya identified him by the same name after a short glimpse at his face, Akira was now convinced that his identical self was labeled Ren.

It was going to take awhile for Akira to grow used to being called by that name.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long but this is important,” Akira said, with a tiny, sheepish smile. Once his words reached Ohya’s ears, the irked glower on her face dwindled down into a look of interest.

Then, an eager grin widened across her features.

“What do you need?” Ohya asked keenly, as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. She leaned in close to his ear, her features mischievous as she whispered slyly, “Do you need more exposure for the Phantom Thieves? More fame? Or do you need intel on someone?”

Akira blinked at Ohya, his mouth slightly open in shock.

“I,” Akira paused, uncomfortable at the idea that Ohya appeared willing to do just about anything for _this_ Ren. “I need more information on someone and I know you’re the only person who would be able to do it.”

“Of course, I’ll be able to do it!” Ohya laughed, before tugging him closer with the arm she had around his neck, nearly suffocating him with her strong grip. “So, what is it?”

Akira coughed, attempting to breathe with Ohya’s solid hold constricting his breathing, before reaching up with a hand and gently pulling away her arm. With a croak, Akira uttered throatily, “I need the location of Akechi Goro’s home.”

There was a short delay of a response from the journalist, before she finally reacted.

“Oh?” Ohya remarked, before tilting her head oddly at him. The reaction had Akira swallowing nervously, as he wondered whether or not it was a strange request for him to ask. “The prince detective?”

“Yeah,” Akira answered, staring soberly at Ohya.

“Why so serious? You’re going to get wrinkles if you frown too much.” Ohya inquired with a stern frown, as she poked him roughly on the forehead at the spot between his eyebrows. Akira winced, as he reached up to rub the spot. “Anyways, I’m used to you being a little more upbeat and playful.”

At the remark, Akira stiffly smiled, his body tense.

It was hard to throw jokes around when he was stuck in some other dimension similar to his own.

All he wanted right now was to obtain Akechi’s address, so he could explain the situation to the detective and hopefully after that, team up with Akechi, defeat his evil clone and Yaldabaoth, before returning to his wonderful life so he could take it nice and easy.

It sounded like a pretty solid plan.

“It’s a serious matter,” Akira declared, looking at Ohya with a solemn expression. Ohya’s eyes widened in surprise, most likely unaccustomed to the deadpan look on Akira’s face.

“Well then, if something like this is getting you so worked up, I guess I should go gather some info on the prince detective.” Ohya declared, as she stood up from her seat. She flashed him a brief smile, before uttering with conviction, “Wait here, I’ll be back in an hour or two.”

Once Ohya left Crossroads, Akira turned towards the shelves of alcohol and rested his head upon his arms on the wooden counter, not particularly in the mood to socialize with Lala. He was worn out from the unusual turn of events and wanted nothing more than to rest his eyes for a bit.

A loud clank on the bar counter startled him and he squinted at the glass of water placed a few inches away from his face. Blinking slowly, Akira raised his gaze to Lala, who had her arms crossed with a prying stare to his face.

“Something wrong?” Lala asked, as Akira shifted back into a sitting position. He reached for the cup and took a few sips of the water. Once he placed it back down onto the counter, Lala said, “You seem a bit more down than usual. Ohya was right when she said you’ll ruin your youthful complexion with that frown. You don’t need to be worrying about wrinkles this early in life. Lighten up.”

Akira chuckled softly, his gray eyes downcast, as he gripped the glass tightly. Then, he murmured, “I tumbled down a rabbit hole earlier today and now, I can’t seem to find my way back home.”

“You’re no Alice,” Lala stated bluntly, causing Akira to snort with laughter.

“Are you telling me I can’t achieve my long-life dream of becoming a Disney princess?” Akira inquired teasingly, smiling genuinely for the first time since he woke up in this world. It didn’t seem to matter whether he was in this world or his own, Lala appeared to be her same self regardless.

“You’re not some naïve, curious princess. You’re too sharp for that,” Lala declared, shaking her head at Akira. “If I had to choose, you strike me more as a Mad Hatter, a troublemaker of sorts that speaks in riddles, savors compliments, and enjoys tea.”

“Well, I _am_ open to compliments of any sort, just like any other person. So, feel free to bust a few words of praises to me,” Akira claimed, before declaring, “Although, I prefer drinking coffee more than tea.”

Even now, he found himself craving for a sip of Leblanc’s coffee. It hadn’t even been that long since he last had a sip of their coffee, since he had just left Yongen-Jaya yesterday. As Akira pondered on his cravings for a steaming, hot beverage, Lala reached for a cigarette.

“So why are you comparing yourself to a petite, blonde girl?” Lala questioned, as she placed a lit cigarette into her mouth.

Akira glanced down at his glass, looking into his cup of water with a thoughtful gaze, before speaking.

“Have you ever wondered how you would have turned out if you had gone down a different path than the one you’ve picked originally?”

Before today, Akira had never pondered on such thoughts. He didn’t have time to speculate on whether or not the choice he was making was for the best or not. As the former leader of the Phantom Thieves, Akira was always confident in his decisions and so far, he had no regrets.

There were no regrets when he intervened and stopped Shido from assaulting that woman, nor were there any when he formed the Phantom Thieves to put a stop to corrupted desires, and there were also none when he declined Yaldabaoth’s offer.

Akira had never looked back on his past decisions and wondered how his life would’ve turned out if he had made another choice. But after today, Akira couldn’t help but speculate on how his circumstances would’ve changed if he had gone down another road.

In this world, many things seemed to have changed from the major support of the Phantom Thieves to the presence of Akechi Goro. It was so bizarre how so much had changed in this place compared to his own. 

All of this was due to the fact that Ren decided to pick a life choice different from Akira’s.

“Even now, you’re talking in riddles,” Lala commented roughly, causing Akira to chuckle despondently to himself. He should’ve expected that Lala wasn’t going to humor him and his blabbering.

Although, after she had uttered the words, her harsh features became softer, as well as her tone with her next statement.

“However, I do think about it all the time. I think of how my life would’ve turned out if I hadn’t changed myself for the best, but I certainly have no doubts now. I’m satisfied with the way I am.” Lala stated lowly, before murmuring gently, “Truly.”

It was silent.

There was not a crack of sound after Lala had finished speaking and Akira didn’t dare say a word as he comprehended her words that were compelling and impressive in a way that moved him.

It was almost amusing how they had shifted from their topic of Alice in Wonderland to such a deeper matter. Although, Akira supposed the two were related in a way. After all, he _did_ fall into a reality that wasn’t his own and it made sense for him to be questioning this world’s choices from his own.

“A very merry unbirthday to you,” Akira stated quietly, just to break the stifling silence.

Lala stared flatly at him, not uttering a single word to him, which defeated the purpose on why he had spoken. Akira stared back hesitantly, not certain on why he was receiving such a deadpan look.

It wasn’t like Akira was speaking in another language.

Since they were on the subject of Alice in Wonderland, he decided to say a notable line from the movie. A prominent statement spoken from the Mad Hatter himself and also the _only_ line Akira recalled from the movie.

So he wasn’t sure why Lala wasn’t saying anything.

Unless…

“Happy birthday?” Akira said hesitantly, unsure if it was Lala’s birthday. Instead of giving Akira any indication on whether it was her unbirthday or birthday, Lala sighed tiredly, shaking her head in exasperation.

“Stop scaring away my customers,” Lala chided strictly, narrowing her eyes at Akira, as she stubbed the cigarette in her hand on the ash tray.

At her declaration, Akira looked around the bar in confusion, finding the place to be entirely empty, save for the two of them. Although, it was to be somewhat expected. The bar didn’t usually grow busy until ten and it was only seven o’ clock.

“It’s dead in here,” Akira claimed frankly, not entirely shocked when a fist pummeled against the top of his head gently.

“You’re scaring them all away with your foolish behavior,” Lala said strictly, sighing wearily at him. Then, her exasperated features melted into a look of concern. “You look exhausted. Just take a nap here and maybe a pleasant surprise will be waiting for you when you wake up.”

It sounded as if Lala didn’t want to deal with Akira’s silly shenanigans any longer, so he placed his arms on the counter before resting his head down.

“Is it a cat?” Akira asked semi-jokingly, although he was somewhat serious as well. If it was a cat, he would really appreciate for it to be Morgana. If not, then any tiny, fluffy kittens would work too.

“I’m talking about Ohya.”

“Oh…” Akira frowned, as his eyes fluttered close, already fatigued from the long day. Then, he murmured tiredly, shaking his head at the suggestion that Ohya would be considered as something amazing. “I wouldn’t really consider her to be a ‘pleasant’ surprise.”

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the piece of information you wanted,” Lala stated, sounding weary, before falling silent.

Akira didn’t respond, feeling sleep drag him away from consciousness. It was an uncomfortable slumber with his body hunched over, causing his back to ache as he slept. The time he spent dozing was short, no longer than a mere thirty minutes up to an hour.

When Akira opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of Ohya waving a paper in front of his face, affirming Lala’s claim of Ohya ‘surprising’ him.

“I’m back,” Ohya crooned, wagging her hand around, a slip of paper between her fingers. Blearily, Akira noticed the indecipherable words of an address on the paper, most likely a certain detective’s location.

Shifting back into a sitting position, Akira reached for the paper languidly, blinking lethargically when Ohya took a step back, wagging her finger with a shake of a head.

“In return for all of this, you could at least tell me where you’ve been for the past month. I’ve noticed the increase of news on the Phantom Thieves, tell me a little more about that,” Ohya said, provoking Akira to sit up straighter in his seat, alertness breaking through his haze of fatigue.

“Next time,” Akira declared softly, as he stood up and swiped the paper out of her hands.

There was a brief flash of surprise on her face, before it shifted into discontent, but Akira was already heading towards the exit to really decipher her expression. With a quick word of gratitude, he waved goodbye to Ohya and Lala and raced out the door.

Akira stared down at the paper, thinking briefly, before he started towards the train station with quick steps.

He was determined to talk to Akechi in one way or another, regardless if the detective was willing to listen to him or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow chapter! We'll be meeting Akechi next chapter so this story will pick up with the next update. Also, thanks for all the comments and kudos, I didn't really expect much people to enjoy this!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Akechi’s flat was located not too far from Shibuya. In fact, his home was located in an apartment building in Harajuku, which was a district Akira had spent time in with several of his friends.

The apartment was just as prestigious as Akira expected the detective’s home to be with the exterior of the building complex appearing grandiose and immense. As daunting as the size of Akechi’s place was, it wasn’t too difficult for Akira to find the door to Akechi’s flat.

Once Akira reached the entry to the detective’s home, he paused in front of the door, suddenly feeling nerves strike him in full force.

He wasn’t certain how Akechi would react to him and it’s been too long since Akira had last interacted with the teen. The last recollection Akira had of Akechi was their fight on Shido’s ship where he was on the receiving end of the teen’s jealousy and fury.

It wasn’t exactly a fond memory that Akira liked to recall.

Breathing in tightly, Akira braced himself and hammered his knuckles against the door loudly.

There wasn’t an immediate response. After seconds of waiting, which felt like a lifetime with his restlessness, Akira had to wonder if Akechi was even home. Hopefully, the detective was actually inside because Akira had no desire on camping outside of Akechi’s home like an obsessed fan.

There was also the fact he had nowhere to go as well.

He could always return to Lala, but he was certain it would seem strange to her if he asked for a place to borrow for the night and he didn’t want to arouse any suspicion. Going back to Sojiro was out of question as well since that could mean encountering his double.

He just hoped that Akechi would be courteous enough to allow him to stay once he told him his side of the story.

Akira brought his hand up once again, fully intending to knock against the door even louder than before, when the sound of a lock unbolting reached his ears. With his heart pounding, Akira instantly dropped his hand back down, attempting to compose himself.

The door slowly creaked open and then there was a certain detective standing in front of him. Akechi was dressed in his typical attire which consisted of his familiar peacoat, black slacks, and his usual black gloves.

Glancing hesitantly at Akechi’s face, Akira could spot the bewilderment on the brown-haired teen’s face, as auburn eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sight of him. The incredulous stare had Akira shifting uncomfortably, causing him to wonder if he should crack out a joke to break the tense atmosphere.

However, just as Akira would expect from the usual poised detective, Akechi recovered after a split second of shock. His look of astonishment settled into an unruffled smile, as he opened the door wider, staring at Akira with a focused stare.

“I must say, this is quite a surprise,” Akechi said pliantly, although his body was still tense, conveying his wariness. “So, what brings you here, Ren?”

Akira blinked, mouth partially open. There was plenty of issues he needed to talk about, starting with the name, ‘Ren.’ He just hoped Akechi was in the mood to believe the absurd story that was going to spout out of his mouth.

“I need to talk to you. It’s important,” Akira declared, mouth set into a firm line.

In response, Akechi’s eyes narrowed thinly, most likely speculating the reason Akira was at his doorstep. There was a slim layer of suspicion but after a brief second, it was crushed beneath a slab of false courtesy.

“Alright then, let’s talk,” Akechi stated, as he pushed the door open, inviting Akira inside his home.

Akira nodded his thanks, as he walked in the apartment. Once he entered, Akira glanced around, curiously examining the interior of the detective’s home. It was as clean and tidy as he had always expected it to be.

Although, unlike Akira’s own room, where it was flowing with personal possessions such as pictures or souvenirs from his friends, there was not a single item in Akechi’s home that indicated any particular value of any sort.

It was almost as if Akira had walked into a hotel room, where the only items placed inside were necessities that were essential for living. Everything in Akechi’s apartment was laid out because it had a particular use.

Slightly unsettled by the thought, Akira walked towards the couch with a slight frown. Without any indication from Akechi on whether or not he was allowed to sit down on the detective’s furniture, Akira went ahead and plopped down onto the couch, dropping his bag on the floor.

Once the door was shut, Akechi approached Akira, who was watching the other with careful gray eyes. It was difficult for Akira to treat Akechi with wide open arms, considering the last time Akira had met the other adolescent. He also didn’t think Akechi was going to act warmly towards him as well with all the Phantom Thief nonsense going around.

For now, Akira needed to be wary around Akechi. Akira wasn’t certain if the other was going to believe him, nor was he sure if the detective will even want to side with him after all the rubbish that had happened before.

In spite of Akira’s worrying thoughts, there weren’t any sudden accusations from the detective, nor were there any animosity being directed towards him once the door was closed. Instead, Akechi stepped up to him and treated him as if he were any other guest in his home.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Akechi said courteously, surprising him.

However, the expression on his face didn’t appear as civil as his tone. If anything, it was lukewarm at best, prompting Akira to hesitate with his answer. Despite Akechi’s attempt at hospitality, Akira didn’t exactly feel welcomed in the detective’s home.

After the last few times he had seen Akechi, he wasn’t exactly sure if taking a drink from the adolescent was the most intelligent move. If it were not for his parched mouth and throat, Akira would’ve skipped all the pleasantries and moved onto business.

“I would appreciate that,” Akira said reluctantly.

“Anything in particular?” Akechi asked, as he turned away from Akira and walked into the kitchen. There was the soft sound of a refrigerator door opening, as Akechi’s voice echoed out into the living room, “Water, tea or… coffee?”

“Coffee.”

Akira had the gut feeling he was going to need a lot of caffeine for this conversation. He was going to be drained of energy by the end of their talk. He was already on the verge of passing out from exhaustion after all the bustling that had happened today.

Immediately after he had answered, there was the loud clanking of cans knocking against each other. Not too long after, Akechi was walking towards him with a light brown can in his hand. Once the detective was in front of him, the chestnut-haired teen motioned for Akira to hold out his hand.

Blinking curiously, Akira slowly placed his hand out, trying to conceal the flinch that occurred when Akechi dropped the freezing can of coffee into his palm. Silently, Akira briefly glanced over the can, relieved but wary to know it was a brand he recognized.

Starvicks.

It was a drink Akira often bought for Makoto and Haru during their trips to the Metaverse. Akira wasn’t a huge fan of the drink, though he admit he had never tried it before, but the ingredients on the can were enough for him to lose interest in ever taking a sip.

He usually made his own drinks for their journeys into the Metaverse and thankfully, _his_ coffee didn’t have that odd flavor to it like Starvicks.

Swallowing nervously, Akira opened the can, the strong aroma already burning away at his nose hairs. Akira braced himself and took a large swig of the coffee can, gulping at it like a champ because he wasn’t a coward that couldn’t finish his own drink.

After chugging the whole can, Akira pulled the coffee can away, coughing in repulsion. He despised the spiciness that accompanied the bitter coffee.

In fact, the sharpness of the spice was jolting his taste buds and it was taking a whole lot of will power for Akira to keep his facial features calm with the essence of the drink slowly corroding his tongue away.

He had to applaud Makoto and Haru, who were able to swallow down the drink without a single wince. They were truly contenders that were tough as nails. Akira wasn’t sure how they were able to handle the drink every day, despite it being a drink that could instantly wake a person up.

He stared at Akechi apprehensively, wondering if the disgusting coffee was intentional. A poisoned drink was certainly no worse than Starvicks, which was now definitely on his list of taboo beverages.

However, despite Akira’s skeptical glance at the detective, there was no change in Akechi’s expression. The brown-haired teen only stared back curiously, his expression clear of any ill intentions.

It was surprising how Akechi always appeared above suspicion with his angelic looks usually concealing any hostile motives within the detective. Even now it was hard for Akira to believe Akechi had purposely given him such an awful beverage with the guiltless face the detective was upholding.

Once again, Akira needed to remind himself to be careful in front of Akechi. The detective was definitely a lot more dangerous than he appeared.  

“I apologize, that was the only can of coffee I had left in the fridge after a coworker had given it to me, and I can’t necessarily brew coffee as well as you do. Although, I will admit I’ve never drank that particular brand before and your reaction solidifies my decision in never doing so in the future,” Akechi stated, his lips quirking upwards in slight amusement.

Akira shook his head, slightly shivering at the spicy aftertaste lingering in his mouth. He wondered if this was how his friends normally felt after he fucked up brewing coffee a few times.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Ren?” Akechi asked, snapping Akira out of his thoughts. He stared at Akechi, suddenly aware of the serious atmosphere between the two. All of his musing on coffee was irrelevant at the moment.

Akira came here for answers, not to contemplate on Starvicks’ repulsing coffee.

“There’s a few important matters I need to talk to you about…” Akira said stiffly, as he wracked his head on exactly where he should start.

There was a whole clutter of subjects Akira needed to ask Akechi about. 

Starting with the bizarre popularity of the Phantom Thieves to the strange disappearance of his friends to the sudden appearance of Akechi. There was a large pile of questions racing through his brain, begging to be answered.

From Akechi’s interview from earlier, it seemed as if the detective had a bunch of questions wanting to be answered as well. Without a doubt, Akira was interested in learning more of Akechi’s stance on the Phantom Thieves, particularly because he appeared to be against them when everyone was on their side.

“Let’s just start with the Phantom Thieves. I’d like to know your thoughts on them,” Akira said, watching Akechi closely for the slightest reaction.

Akira desired to learn as much as he could about the Phantom Thieves. It was quite odd for him to want to know more about a group he was previously a leader of but compared to how he originally believed the group to be in his own world, they were obviously some changes between the two.  

There was a split second of silence between the two of them, before a soft laugh spilled out of Akechi, sounding derisive and unbelieving. Akira frowned slightly at the look of condemnation on the detective, who brought up a hand to his mouth.

“Yes, the Phantom Thieves,” Akechi continued to laugh scornfully into his own fist with the mocking smile on his face nearly resembling a glower. “The almighty, heroic Phantom Thieves, always there to save the day. They’re quite the rage these days, don’t you think?”

“I have to agree with you,” Akira answered carefully.

Earlier, there had been flyers everywhere that were dedicated to the Phantom Thieves. No matter where Akira had looked, there was always some sign of the group, and no matter where he was, there was always some form of talk surrounding them.

“I would think so, especially after you decided to change the hearts of all the criminals, particularly the ones who oppose your values. No wonder you’ve accumulated such strong support,” the detective said harshly, mahogany eyes narrowed sharply, his disapproval drilling severely into Akira. “To think you’ve sunk this low. You’re no better than I was.”

Akira inhaled sharply at the words, squeezing the empty coffee can in his hands tightly. The words stung badly. Despite knowing that he wasn’t Ren, who Akechi was speaking so awfully about, Akira felt partially responsible for his actions.

After all, Ren was _him_ to some degree.

“I was wrong to have admired you,” Akechi declared with a soft scoff. “No friends, as well as a shitty sense of justice. In this case, we’re peas in the same pod.”

There was something desperate underneath Akechi’s bitter gaze, a frantic emotion quickly flashing across the detective’s face that grasped Akira’s attention.

Was it guilt?

No, it wasn’t entirely remorse, though it was there to some degree.

There was a slight sliver of misery, something that was desolate within Akechi’s demeanor. The realization brought a bad taste to Akira’s mouth, one that was more stinging than the Starvicks aftertaste that still lingered from on his tongue.

“I suppose I should be glad,” Akechi said more quietly, as his intense stare mellowed down to a disappointed look. He didn’t seem to be as pleased as he had claimed. In fact, it looked more like discontent. “Guess we’re not so apart from each other than I thought.”

The comparison Akechi was bringing up between Ren and the detective didn’t escape Akira’s attention. The similarities between the both of them seemed more uncanny than ever before.

Akira couldn’t even begin to imagine himself actually pulling the same stunts in his own world. He wondered where things went wrong to where he would greatly change his morals and beliefs.

The whole point of the Phantom Thieves was to rebel against society’s messed-up authority. But now it seemed as if the Phantom Thieves had become the core of jurisdiction themselves and they were just as appalling as their predecessor.

Akira couldn’t deny a single thing Akechi accused him of.

“That does seem like the case,” Akira agreed softly, feeling more exhausted than he ever felt before, despite all the coffee he downed earlier. He hadn’t even passed the first topic yet and he already wanted to bail.

This whole wreckage of a world was a clutter of chaos Akira would gladly avoid. To think Lavenza had come to him in hopes of saving humanity from Yaldabaoth’s rule, despite the fact that he was the whole reason that the public was being controlled by a sinister god.

Akechi crumpled his eyebrows together at Akira’s somber response, forming a look of puzzlement while staring fixedly at Akira, as if he were trying to analyze him. Akira could understand the confusion behind Akechi’s look.

If he was the leader of the Phantom Thieves, then why didn’t he appear joyous of all the positive publicity of the group?

“So, what about the Phantom Thieves did you want to talk about?” Akechi asked wearily, looking more tired than Akira’s ever seen him. Akechi continued speaking, derision in his tone of voice. “With you there to save the day, there’s no need for anything as lawful as the police department. I don’t understand how you’re wanting to talk about this.”

There wasn’t a response Akira could muster up, not with all the cynicism Akechi was directing towards him.

Akechi must’ve realized that Akira had no further words to offer him since his hardened mien slowly melted away. His defensive stance softened down to a loosened posture, as he stepped closer to Akira, before seating himself next to him. There was only a foot of space between them now.

“Did you come here to stroke your ego?” Akechi laughed, sounding defeated. He stared at Akira with austere eyes, solemnity swimming around in orbs of russet. “It must be amusing for you to see me so hated by the public. Tokyo’s favorite detective is now nefarious in the face of society’s judge for true justice, the Phantom Thieves.”

The crushed expression on Akechi’s face had Akira scrambling to speak. The dejected frown had spoken volumes to Akira. It was clear to Akira that Akechi was disheartened by the aversion surrounding his reputation.

“Didn’t _you_ want to talk?” Akira asked, eyebrows furrowed together in doubt. “I saw your interview today at Shibuya Square.”

On the large screen, Akechi had stared straight at the camera, a daring gleam in his eyes, as he challenged the Phantom Thieves – no, for Ren to steal his heart. There must’ve been a clear reason for Akechi to have taunted the glorified group as openly as he did.

“You saw that?” Akechi’s eyes were wide, a near cry to the familiar look the detective would normally display whenever he was shocked.

Akira nodded in answer, watching as Akechi’s surprised expression tightened into a pensive look while the hands on his knees tightened into fists. The brown-haired adolescent stayed silent as he slightly turned his body away from Akira’s.

“You’re right. I did want to talk,” Akechi eventually said, canting his head towards Akira. There was a critical glint to Akechi’s gaze. “But it’s hard for me to believe that it took you months of me being in numerous interviews for you to finally contact me. There must be a particular reason why you’re here.”

There was only skepticism on Akechi’s expression, which Akira admitted he wasn’t too surprised by. Just as he was mistrustful of Akechi’s actions, it only made sense for Akechi to convey wariness in return.

Akira just hoped he could conquer all his qualms about Akechi to work together with the detective, who he prayed would do the exact same. Akechi was the only other persona user other than himself who still seemed to exist within this universe.

“You asked the Phantom Thieves to steal your heart. Why?” Akira said, tilting his head inquisitively. He knew that Akechi must’ve known that it wasn’t possible to have his heart stolen, especially since he had a persona.

He must’ve wanted to talk to Ren.

“I thought that might’ve been the best way to grasp your attention,” Akechi stated, as he stared at Akira with a probing stare, seeking for answers. “So, tell me, did it?”

“It did.”

Akira had been certainly intrigued by the interview. He had seen numerous of Akechi’s interviews before where the detective would simply voice his disagreements about the Phantom Thieves.

However, this past interview was the first time he had seen Akechi break out of his charismatic exterior. His defiance was plainly conveyed on his face as he asked for the Phantom Thieves to change his heart while knowing it wasn’t possible.  

To say the least, it was compelling to see Akechi act like that, even though it didn’t seem to reach the audience surrounding him.

Although, he just wasn’t sure about the other him.

Did Ren feel the same emotions as him when watching the interview? Well, if he even watched the interview.

After months of not seeing Akechi, Akira definitely felt a flood of emotions overwhelm him during the detective’s interview. Just finding out Akechi was alive had given him conflicting feelings as to how he wanted to react. He had wanted to reach out to Akechi and fathom how it was possible that the brown-haired teen was still alive.

But at the same time, he was anxious and cautious to do so. After their last encounter, Akira knew it was necessary to be wary, yet he couldn’t do so entirely. Not when it was Shido manipulating Akechi from the sidelines and not when Akechi looked so tired from it all.

It was possible that Ren wasn’t as impressed as Akira was. If Akechi was truly doing interviews for months, then it must’ve been clear to Ren that Akechi was still up and kicking.

So why didn’t his counterpart reach out to Akechi any sooner?

Maybe it was because what his duplicate was doing wasn’t truly right for society. Akira fully realized that, so Ren must’ve known it too. Allowing Yaldabaoth to continue to control humanity wasn’t fair at all.

It was likely Ren was avoiding Akechi for that reason. His counterpart clearly didn’t want anyone telling him that what he was doing was unethical and unjust. The only person who wouldn’t be afraid to tell the Phantom Thief just what he needed to hear was Akechi Goro.

“Would you say,” Akira began quietly, “that everything the Phantom Thieves are doing is just?”

“What you’re doing isn’t justice,” Akechi declared strongly, brown-red eyes narrowed intensely.  “At least not true justice. Maybe it was on the thin line of justice before but right now, you’re nowhere close to it. In fact, you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum.”

It was apparent to Akira before that Akechi disagreed with the ways of the Phantom Thieves but now it was clearly evident. Despite the masses’ glorification of the Phantom Thieves, it was obvious to Akechi that nothing about this sounds right.

It was like a sigh of relief to Akira.

“But what can I say? I have no right to criticize you,” Akechi laughed bitterly, regret setting into his gaze. “I’d be a hypocrite if I did.”

Akira jerked at that, his eyes wide in surprise.

He always wondered if Akechi would feel remorse for what he had done in the past if he had made it past Shido’s ship. With his role in the mental shutdowns, it should’ve been obvious to Akira that Akechi felt that he wasn’t befitting as a detective of justice.

“What’s your trick here?” Akechi suddenly asked, his voice soft. “After months of not confronting me, you finally come to me and speak of the Phantom Thieves, almost as if you’re not the mastermind behind it all.”

Akira stayed silent, not certain if it was exactly the right moment to reveal his true identity.

If he abruptly brought up how he wasn’t from this world and he was transported here by a blue butterfly to defeat his corrupted doppelgänger, as well as to join forces with Akechi, so he could save the universe from an evil god of control, Akechi would certainly look at Akira like he lost a few marbles.

Okay.

So, Akira wouldn’t word it exactly like that.

After all, his life wasn’t the plot to some cliché game.

Although, regardless of how he worded it, whether it was comprehendible or not, he would surely bemuse Akechi, who would definitely think it was Ren, who somehow became mad. Akira didn’t think he would be able to make his story sound believable, despite it being one hundred percent true.

But if he wanted to ask for help, Akira supposed it was necessary for him to tell Akechi exactly who he was. He needed to start somewhere, and it would be better for Akira to spend time trying to convince Akechi that he wasn’t Ren then for him to never make it to the subject.

It also seemed safe for him to tell Akechi who he was. From his discussion with Akechi, it also appeared as if the detective was against the Phantom Thieves. So that scratched off the likelihood of Akechi working with Ren.

The only issue that Akira had was if Akechi would even want to work with him after hearing his ludicrous story. Akira supposed he had to clap his hands together in a prayer and hope that Akechi was in the mood to believe in nonsense.

“I called you earlier on the phone,” Akira said slowly, before his eyes locked onto Akechi’s seriously. “You called me _Ren.”_

Akechi blinked in a startled manner, before his mahogany eyes locked onto his intently. A new light emerged in his eyes, one that was focused and astute. Akira held the gaze boldly, although he was nervously sweating underneath his layer of clothes.

“You make it sound as if you’re not him.” Akechi said, a shred of doubt in his tone. “Although, I do recall a phone call from earlier. Someone who called themselves… Akio?”

“Akira… Kurusu Akira,” Akira stated softly, correcting Akechi. He didn’t need Akechi to be referring him by the wrong name. “I’m not the person you’ve been calling… Ren.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe that?” Akechi inquired, his face twisted into a mistrustful scoff. There was only disbelief drawn all over the detective’s face, as he reacted in the way that Akira about expected him to act.

“Well, yes?” Akira said uncertainly.

“You sound just like Ren,” Akechi declared, humoring him. “You look like him as well. From his unkempt dark hair, gray eyes, plain glasses, and typical outfit. Everything about you is the exact same. So, you’re saying you’re not him?”

Akira stared back at Akechi unsurely, wincing internally at the impatient stare the detective directed towards him.

“There’s no evidence that you’re some doppelgänger called Akira. What game are you trying to play here, Ren?” Akechi stated, eyebrows furrowed sharply.

“You’re right. I don’t really have any proof to provide you, nor can I really deny what you’re saying is wrong. You are right in a way,” Akira stated before declaring soberly, “I _am_ Ren and Ren is me.”

“What?” Akechi inquired flatly, appearing perplexed by Akira’s statement.

There was no easy manner for Akira to explain everything to Akechi.

Akira had been discarded into some crooked rendition of his world with a debauched version of him ruling the society of Tokyo. Then, Lavenza dropped the news that Akira was expected to save everyone with the help of Akechi.

It was mind-blowing just for Akira to think about it. So, just how was he supposed to explain that to Akechi?

“My name is Kurusu Akira,” Akira stated honestly, staring at Akechi with a deadpan look. Maybe it was best for him to start from the beginning. “Yesterday, I was heading back to my hometown after my probation period had ended.”

Akechi stared back at him silently, listening vigilantly as Akira continued to explain himself.

“Before today, the Phantom Thieves had been disbanded. You weren’t there to see it since you died on Shido’s ship,” Akira said quietly, frowning solemnly. “After we got Shido to confess his crimes, the Phantom Thieves and I decided to explore Mementos, so we could find the core of it to steal the public’s treasure.”

Unfortunately, the Phantom Thieves didn’t run into a treasure that could easily be stolen. If only things had been that simple.

“But what we found wasn’t a treasure. We found the Holy Grail, who considered himself to be a god.” Akira scoffed, shaking his head in revulsion. “In a way, he was a god, one that craved to control humanity. Yaldabaoth was the people’s wishes to be ruled over.”

He stared at Akechi, whose face was entirely impassive, making it difficult for Akira to figure out what exactly was running through the detective’s mind. He wondered if Akechi had any form of idea of the whole deal with Yaldabaoth.

The blank look on Akechi’s face was telling him otherwise.

“Yaldabaoth offered me a deal. If I were to accept, the world would become one where the Phantom Thieves were adored and appreciated. However, that would mean everyone would be under Yaldabaoth’s control.”

Just recalling back to that moment, where he was in the Velvet Room, was unpleasant. Picking a decision was fairly easy to Akira. There was no way he was going to accept Yaldabaoth’s deal, not when he understood how awful it was to be restricted under society’s rules.

“So, I refused,” Akira said, frowning. “To sum it up, being under someone’s control was not what I believed the public wished for so naturally, the Phantom Thieves did what they did best and rebelled against god. We ended up winning the battle.”

Once they won, the mayhem didn’t exactly end there. For one, Morgana had disappeared, along with Mementos. Though, Akira had to admit he was glad Morgana had returned back to them.

Then, there was the whole issue of prosecuting Shido. To do so, it was necessary for him to turn himself in.

“After that, I turned myself in after shutting down the Phantom Thieves,” Akira stated. As much as Akira appreciated being the leader of a rebellion group, it was a huge relief for him to return as a simple high school student. “Society wouldn’t need us anymore since they were free to act openly. We weren’t necessary.”

Thankfully, Akira was soon rid of his probation, all thanks to the efforts of his friends.

“Once I was proven innocent, I returned back to Leblanc, where I stayed until my probation ended. Then yesterday, I said farewell to my friends and returned back to my home with Morgana.”

From Akechi’s inscrutable face, Akira couldn’t even tell if the teen remembered Morgana, along with his forgotten friends. He was going to have to interrogate Akechi about that later to see if his friends have completely vanished from Akechi’s cognition.

“But today, I woke up on a train to Shibuya, where the Phantom Thieves were being praised.” Akira said carefully, silently begging for Akechi to understand where he was headed with his words. “It was shocking to learn that the Phantom Thieves were being worshipped for changing the hearts of countless people, despite the fact I dispersed the group months ago.”

It was indeed surprising to him how this world contrasted with his own and Akira didn’t mean that in a positive light. He was disturbed to see all the differences.

“I returned to Yongen-Jaya to see if I could find some answers. The first place I went to was Leblanc and I saw myself inside the café, the one you call Ren.” Akira stated, provoking a reaction from Akechi, whose eyes slowly widened into a look of bewilderment.

Sighing faintly, Akira recalled the whole matter with the disappearance of his friends. That was going to be tough to explain, especially since Akira couldn’t figure out the reason for their lack of existence.

“Then, there’s also the case that my friends no longer appear to exist. No one seems to remember the other members of the Phantom Thieves. When I asked Sojiro about Futaba, he didn’t even know who she was, and there doesn’t seem to be any sign of Morgana anywhere.”

Akira didn’t even expect Akechi to know who he was talking about.

His composed voice was starting to deviate into a desperate tone. He had wanted to stay collected in his discussion with Akechi but just the thought of dealing with everything was stressing him out.

He didn’t even know where to begin with resolving everything.

He was utterly exhausted.

All Akira wanted was to be back in his hometown with Morgana and be able to contact his friends freely.

“Akechi, I think…” Akira whispered, feeling as if he was falling to pieces on the inside. “I think I was brought here to save this world from myself and Yaldabaoth’s control… but to do that, I need your help for that.”

He stared at Akechi, hoping that the detective wouldn’t find him to be insane. It was somewhat of a relief to see that there wasn’t an irked look on Akechi’s face at his rambling. Instead, it was contemplative with a thoughtful frown.

“If what you’re saying is true, then I’d have to admit that you’re not the strangest thing to have happened,” Akechi stated quietly, looking at Akira carefully, a skeptical note in Akechi’s tone. Then, the detective laughed bitterly. “After all, I’m still here.”

The room quickly grew strained between the two.

He felt his heart clench uncomfortably at Akechi’s resentful tone. It almost sounded as if the detective didn’t want to be here, almost like he’d rather be dead. Just the notion of it was making Akira upset.

But it was odd, just like Akechi said.

In his world, Akechi never made it out of Shido’s palace.

So how was the detective still alive?

Akira opened his mouth, ready to ask the question that was buzzing in his head for hours, when a sharp ringing resounded in the room. Akechi pulled out his phone from his back pocket and clicked down to answer, placing it on speaker, without a single glance down at his screen.

“Hello, this is Akechi Goro speaking,” Akechi greeted in a professional tone, although his eyebrows were furrowed together in frustration.

 _“Sorry to be calling you out of the blue,”_ a familiar voice said nonchalantly, prompting both Akira and Akechi to react strongly.

Akechi’s expression certainly had the most bewildered look Akira had ever seen adorning the detective. Akechi had jolted, his auburn eyes nearly the size of dishes, as his mouth flapped open in shock while Akira only felt his heartbeat speeding up, as he looked at Akechi’s phone fixedly, listening closely for his counterpart’s next words.

“Ren?” Akechi breathed out, as his eyes flashed between Akira and the phone in disbelief.

There was incredulity conveyed all over his face. Despite his initial shock, Akira supposed it was a relief that he finally had proof for Akechi but at the same time, he was wary.

Exactly why was Ren calling Akechi after months of ignoring him?

 _“Yeah, it’s me,”_ Ren said slowly, caution in his tone. _“I need to speak to you about something. It’s important.”_

The words mirrored Akira’s exact words from earlier when he had showed up on Akechi’s doorstep, asking to talk with Akechi about an urgent matter. However, Akira couldn’t even begin to guess what Ren wanted to speak about.

“Uh, yes,” Akechi said ineloquently, his face frankly looking like the color of a white sheet. It must’ve been bizarre, Akira supposed, to be chatting on the phone with someone who he believed to be sitting next to him.

 _“This might sound a little strange,”_ the voice said softly. There was a brief pause, as if Ren was hesitating on speaking his next words. _“But have you talked to me earlier today? Or someone who sounded like me?”_

Akira tensed in horror, staring at the phone in bafflement, while Akechi narrowed his eyes, his lips pursed pensively.

Just how did Ren already find out about him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok in all honesty, im kinda angry at myself for spending 600 words on the starvicks thing AHAHA. im awful about writing paragraphs on things that literally do NOT matter so i apologize if i do that in later chapters. 
> 
> sorry i haven't updated earlier, just a bunch of school and work being my main goal here in life. also, i have a ton of other story ideas that i sometimes want to focus on before this story. im hoping this story will pick up after next chapter!
> 
> i'd love to hear thoughts on this chapter! kudos appreciated as well <3
> 
> Happy thanksgiving!


	4. Chapter 4

Akira swallowed nervously, as he locked his eyes on Akechi’s face, watching him carefully for any suspicious signs.

There was a slight frown on Akechi’s face, conveying his bemusement over the strange situation. But there was also a gleam in the teen’s auburn eyes, contemplative in nature, creating the image of a deliberating detective.

The calculated expression on the other’s face conceived an immense chunk of dread in Akira’s stomach, building up to his throat where it made it hard for him to even breathe. It was terribly unnerving for him not to know which words would tumble out of Akechi’s mouth.

Akechi was a sly one and despite finding it easy to predict his moves in the past with the aid of his friends, Akira was finding it difficult to forecast his next action. Akechi could either lie blatantly to Ren about Akira’s existence or spill out the secret.

_“Akechi? Are you still there?”_

There was concern in the other’s voice, sounding like the exact replica of Akira’s own. It was disorienting to hear the careful consideration in Ren’s voice that was directed towards Akechi. He didn’t even think that Ren was capable of expressing worry, not after damning society.

Though, maybe it was a mask the other was hiding behind.

Akira was very familiar with putting on a guise in hopes to appear as non-threatening to the public as possible. Once he had been placed on probation, Akira knew how it was to hide behind a cover to cater towards people’s expectation of him.

Or perhaps, there was something more behind Ren’s soft tone than simply putting on a front.

“Sorry, I was just thinking,” Akechi said thoughtfully, before veiling his voice with suspicion. “The question you’re proposing is rather perplexing. What do you mean by that?”

It was impressive how Akechi could put himself in a role of an oblivious person, despite having the answer to Ren’s question clearly in front of him. Akira had to applaud Akechi on his ability to quickly compose himself. He wasn’t sure if anyone could react as calmly as the detective if they were placed in the same ridiculous scenario.

 _“It means exactly how I stated it,”_ Ren said flatly, giving the impression that he was not in the mood for games. _“Have you talked to me at all today?"_

“And what could you possibly be implying by that?” Akechi asked bluntly, before harshly laughing for a brief moment. Then, he stated bitterly, “This is the first time you’ve bothered contacting me in months.”

 _“Is it?”_ There was an apprehensive note to Ren’s voice, distrust exuding in his voice.

A shaky breath escaped Akira, one that wasn’t entirely relief. He wasn’t completely convinced that Akechi wasn’t going to end up revealing his presence to Ren. But so far, it appeared as if Akechi was not willing to divulge any information to Ren.

It was nerve-wracking, not knowing the words that would soon spill out of Akechi’s mouth. But for now, he was willing to place his hopes in Akechi.

“Yeah, it is,” Akechi stated curtly, before shifting into distrust. “Why do you ask? You’re behaving fairly strangely.”

Akechi’s sharp remark evoked silence from the other end of the line and with the sudden stillness in the air, arrived the critical gaze from Akechi. The detective glanced upwards from the phone he was holding and up towards Akira’s face.

His expression was penetrating – his canny stare causing his auburn eyes to burn brighter to a crimson red, dissecting into Akira in an uncomfortable manner. When there was finally a response from the phone, Akechi darted his gaze back to the device, allowing Akira to finally breathe lightly again.

 _“It’s nothing. If you don’t have answers, then I’m ending the phone call here,”_ Ren quickly said, sounding strangled, grasping Akira’s attention with his brisk response.

There was clearly a reason why Ren wouldn’t disclose to Akechi the cause behind his odd question. Akira could only guess that Ren held as much mistrust for the detective as he himself felt.

Though, if Akira was in Ren’s shoes, he supposed he wouldn’t have told Akechi as well. Just confessing his situation from earlier to the detective was a tough ordeal for him. He couldn’t imagine how hard it might’ve been for Ren to work up the courage to call Akechi, after avoiding him for months, as Akira had heard.

It was a shame that Akechi was already aware of the circumstances behind Ren’s problem, all thanks to Akira.

“Say, Ren,” Akechi said, voice dripping in false benevolence. “Don’t you find it odd that the public is worshipping the Phantom Thieves so blindly? It’s painfully obvious that they aren’t ethical in any form or manner."

 _“Goodbye Akechi,”_ said Ren, his tone indicating finality.

The phone call ended there, causing a flash of aggravation to flicker across Akechi’s face. It was quickly smoothed out into a calm look, his clenched jaw the only indication of irritation. Then, he was cramming his phone into his back pocket, before rising loudly from the couch and disappearing into the kitchen.

When he finally arrived back in the living room with a water bottle in his hands, Akechi wandered to the bare wall opposite of where Akira was sitting and leaned against it, his face painted in an introspective frown.

With the way Akechi stayed silent and avoided peering towards Akira’s direction, it looked as if Akechi had a lot he still needed to fathom. There was a ton that Akechi possibly desired to comprehend, issues that Akira wanted to understand himself, but it was time Akira didn’t want to spare.

He couldn’t spend a decade wondering why he was here.

Akira needed to act as soon as possible so he could discover more answers along the road.

“You didn’t tell him,” Akira eventually stated, frowning in confusion. When Akechi lurched his head towards him, staring at him with wide eyes full of befuddlement, eyebrows knitted together as if he didn’t hear a single word, Akira repeated himself. “You didn’t end up revealing to him that you talked to someone that sounded like him… or looked like him.”

“I’m sure you heard me earlier when I told you I don’t believe the Phantom Thieves are just. If all you’ve mentioned today is true, then I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure he’s not the one who comes out victorious.”

Akechi roughly unscrewed the cap of his bottle, swallowing heavy gulps of water, before tightening the lid back on. He looked resolute, determined in a way Akira had never seen before, as if he was preparing himself for a marathon.

“I’ll assist you in defeating Yaldabaoth, if that means you’re willing to take down the Phantom Thieves,” Akechi declared.

Akira supposed it should’ve been funny hearing those words directed towards him. Akechi was telling the departed leader of the group to overthrow this world’s version of the Phantom Thieves.

But despite the hilarity revolving around Akechi’s proposal, Akira knew that it was certainly necessary for them to cease every activity by the Phantom Thieves, whether it was performed with pure intentions or not. He supposed he should grow used to the idea if he wanted Akechi’s help.

“Yeah…” Akira stated, his mind resolved. “Let’s put an end to the Phantom Thieves.”

It was strange, as the former leader of the Phantom Thieves, to have those particular words running out of his mouth. He supposed Akechi must’ve had the same line of thought because there was an unpleasant frown on the detective’s face.

“So, we’ve reached a consensus.” Akechi’s frown deepened, as his eyebrows furrowed together in a perturbed expression. “Though, there’s just one mystery that won’t stop surfacing in my mind.”

At Akechi’s befuddled statement, Akira tilted his head and raised an arched eyebrow in question where Akechi took that cue to voice his concerns.

“How was it that Ren knew you were here? Did you bump into him today where he was clearly able to see your face?” Akechi inquired curiously, his eyes narrowing at Akira in scrutiny. He must’ve been studying his wardrobe since he scanned Akira’s entire form, eyeing the hood laid over Akira’s head.

Reaching up towards his head, Akira pulled down his gray hoodie, which he assumed wasn’t really a thought-out disguise considering the fact that Ren was practically wearing the same outfit as him.

“I don’t believe so,” Akira stated, frowning in deliberation. Today, he was only near Ren for a total of two times.

The first time, he was at Leblanc and the moment Ren had exited the café shop, Akira had hidden behind a trash can. Then, at Station Square, Akira had tucked himself into the corner of the green train and pulled his hood down as far as he could, before sneaking a peek at the other.

Surely, if Akira had to rate his stealth skills, he would deem it off the charts. Both occasions where Akira managed a glimpse, Ren hadn’t been staring back at him. If Ren _had_ caught sight of him, Akira would certainly been screwed before he had a chance to have done a single thing.

However, there was just one factor he didn’t mull over for long.

“There’s a possibility that he must’ve heard it from Sojiro. After Ren had left, I walked into Leblanc and asked a couple questions. He didn’t seem to know what I was really talking about. He must’ve asked Ren when he returned about what I had mentioned earlier today.”

“You what?” Akechi said blankly, his expression carefully inscrutable, though his eyes were plainly conveying the disappointment in Akira’s actions.

“Also, to find you, I had to reach out to a companion of mine. She helped me locate your apartment but I’m sure Ren must’ve heard from her that I was looking for you if he was looking into Sojiro’s statement.”

He wouldn’t put it behind him if Ren had decided to ask every acquaintance of his about whether or not they have seen him today. It would be a move Akira would pull himself if there was someone that looked like him roaming around Tokyo.

“That’s indeed going to be a problem.” Akechi breathed in sharply, before bringing up a finger in rumination, looking miffed by the whole ordeal. After a couple seconds of musing, Akechi piped up. “So, why come to me? I would think I’m the last person you would turn to for assistance and you clearly have a few associates willing to lend you a hand.”

“That’s the issue here. I have no one left to turn to, at least people who are unsupportive of the Phantom Thieves. You’re the only other person besides myself that could enter the Metaverse and help me.”

Akira sighed deeply, as he averted his gaze towards the ground in misery. The thought of his friends’ nonexistence was one he didn’t want to dwell too deeply on, but it was a subject he definitely needed to speculate over.

“All my other friends… Well, they’re gone.”

There was a slight frown on the detective’s face. He looked perplexed by Akira’s words, almost as if the teen were speaking another language. Then, he whispered hesitantly, “You mentioned earlier that you can’t seem to find your friends here or at least, Ren’s friends, but I can’t exactly seem to…”

The sentence faltered into utter silence. From the vague way Akechi was talking about his friends, it made Akira wonder if the detective even remembered them.

Akechi’s body was tense and the passive expression on his face was falling apart into an agitated look, one that screamed uneasiness and doubt. It was evident that Akechi was trying to determine the exact people Akira once had surrounded around him but was failing at pulling up an answer.

“Akechi…” Akira’s face screwed up in bafflement, before uttering the words he feared of saying, “Do you not remember them?”

The small thread that was holding Akechi’s steady expression together broke apart, bringing out a pile of turmoil and alarm. Akechi didn’t respond to Akira’s inquiry, as he stared out the window, looking as if he couldn’t figure out the enigma behind his lapse of memory.

“Akechi?” Akira said more softly, concerned about the conflict darting across the detective’s face.

“Vaguely,” Akechi stated quietly, shifting his focus from the window to Akira gravely. “Ever since I’ve arrived back, my memories have been cloudy, almost as if I’ve been dreaming this whole time. Everything feels surreal.”

He supposed that answered Akira’s worries on whether Akechi was still able to remember his friends. Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, and Morgana – they were all slowly fading from Akechi’s consciousness, not to mention they were also absent in other peoples’ memories.

It was torture learning so and surprisingly, Akechi didn’t appear so happy by the revelation as well. In fact, he looked vastly upset at his lack of recognition.

“I knew before this whole deal of the Phantom Thieves gaining sudden popularity that there were more members, but I just can’t seem to remember their faces clearly,” Akechi said, frustration exuding from his voice. “If anything, they’re just a murky picture. It’s almost as if they’re perishing from my mind.”

The intense, profound stare Akechi was drilling into Akira’s head was fading away, withering down to a pensive one, looking as if he was dwelling on the past. Then, Akechi brought up a hand up towards his forehead and placed his head into his palm with a look of strain.

“I remember feeling envious of Ren. Back before Shido’s ship, whenever I thought of him, it was always with his circle of friends,” Akechi said distantly, pulling away his hand and letting it slump back down. “But now, I can’t even imagine Ren with a single accomplice of his.”

“If you can’t recall who they are, then you shouldn’t strain yourself in trying to remember. I doubt they’ll suddenly resurface in your head. If you’re slowly forgetting them, then I’m sure this problem won’t be fixed until we deal it up front."

Akira’s own head ached painfully, and he wanted to bring up a finger to knead at the area on his forehead where it felt like there was a knife jamming into it brutally – he kept his hands to his sides though, not wanting to seize any unnecessary attention from Akechi.

“Don’t worry about them. They’re not disappearing any time soon from my memories,” Akira eventually said with a reassuring smile, despite feeling like he might fall apart at the seams as well. Vaguely, he wondered if Ren kept them in mind after months of misdeeds.

Akechi stared silently at Akira. The troubled look on the other’s face was almost reminiscent to the time on Shido’s ship, where Akechi had spilled out his pain and grief to the group about his inability to become meaningful.

“What are their names?” Akechi inquired tentatively, almost sounding hesitant to speak of the topic. The unsure manner of Akechi’s was one Akira wasn’t used to. He was more familiar with the detective’s assured behavior that typically oozed confidence and certainty.

“Morgana, Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke, Haru, Makoto, and Futaba,” said Akira, making sure to pronounce each of their names slowly so Akechi could follow along.

“I’ll keep their names in mind,” Akechi stated nonchalantly, causing Akira to look at him strangely.

Why did he even care?

The question wouldn’t stop burning in his mind. He didn’t think Akechi would find them relevant. If anything, he must’ve been bothered that he couldn’t recall his declining memories and that was probably infuriating him.

“There’s another reason why I wanted to seek out Ren. I thought he might’ve been responsible for me being here, but he never looked for me after I had come back,” Akechi said darkly.

Akira raised his eyebrows in surprise, mouth slightly open in wonder.

That was an interesting way to think of it. The thought of Ren being the reason behind Akechi’s appearance had never popped up in his mind.

Though, Akira supposed he never reached a definite truth on the reason Akechi was back. He always assumed Lavenza had somehow brought Akechi back to life just like how she transported Akira to this alternate reality.

Perhaps Ren did have a hand in Akechi’s appearance. Maybe there was a chance he was hoping for Akechi to join his side in his journey to bring ruin to Japan. However, that didn’t sound too plausible to him.

Akira wouldn’t exactly know.

All Akira was aware of was that Akechi had died right after their battle in the engine room. Futaba had confirmed Akechi’s death with a distraught frown on her face after the sounds of gunshots, her voice trembling at the loss of Akechi’s signal.

“You were dead on Shido’s ship,” Akira uttered, feeling his throat close up from the discomfort. It was an uncomfortable topic for him to touch upon and he assumed Akechi could only feel the same way.

His statement managed to provoke a reaction from Akechi, eliciting a miffed look and tense silence. Almost expecting for Akechi not to respond to his statement, Akira opened his mouth, fully intending to change the subject.

“On Shido’s ship, I fully remembered dying,” said Akechi, his face emotionless.

His cold stare bore holes into Akira’s face, making him shuffle uncomfortably in his seat. The distant tone in Akechi’s voice was giving Akira the impression that he was talking about someone else.

However, Akechi wasn’t which led him to think he was disassociating himself from the incident. No one could talk about their death as easily as Akechi had with little emotions.

“Once the metal gate had closed you off from me, I shot Shido’s cognition of me, before having a bullet hurl into my chest. It didn’t take long for the pain to set in and fortunately for me, I lost consciousness. It was all over.” Akechi crossed his arms together, looking as if he was deliberating, as a dismal frown slowly formed.

Akira fidgeted in his seat, not necessarily enjoying the pungent undertone of the detective’s voice.

“Or it was supposed to be all over. I was dead, I’m sure of it,” Akechi said, before chuckling darkly. “But then, I woke up on the side of the road to someone tripping over me.”

“Did someone mistake you for trash?” Akira said, in an attempt to quell the uncomfortable constriction of his chest but his small smile dwindled down to an apologetic look when Akechi sent him a harsh glare, one that didn’t show any sign of amusement.

Right…

This wasn’t the moment for light-hearted jokes.

“When I finally found shelter, I found out that more than a month had already passed,” Akechi stated. “I also learned that Shido had been prosecuted. It was quite the New Year’s miracle – being alive and finding news of Shido being put on trial.”

Despite his words, Akechi’s face was blank, not conveying much relief at the news. But peering closely, there was a wrinkle on his forehead from where he was nearly knitting his eyebrows together, creating a picture of dissatisfaction.

It didn’t take long for Akechi to drop the bomb.

“So, it felt only right to turn myself in,” Akechi said quietly, dour eyes flickering to the ground instead of fixating on Akira’s face.

“What?” Akira stiffened in his seat, eyes wide, as he stared at the detective in surprise.

He supposed he shouldn’t act so shocked yet. Clearly, the detective hasn’t done so if he was still on the opposite side of the room from him, talking to him in his apartment. Regarding Akechi’s proclamation, Akira could only assume it was about the murders Shido forced Akechi to undertake.

“It would only be fair, wouldn’t it?” Akechi stated bitterly, as his face twitched in anger.

However, Akira could tell the fury on the tawny-haired teen’s face wasn’t directed towards him or anyone else for that matter. In fact, it seemed as if Akechi was resentful of himself from the way he muttered under his breath, the word spilling out sounding suspiciously like a curse.

“In the past, I had spouted such elegant words of justice and fighting unlawful criminals.” Akechi smiled, teeth bared in a display of scorn. “Only for me to turn around and commit horrendous crimes for my own benefit while playing good cop to everyone. It goes and shows that I was only a hypocrite that didn’t actually give a damn about being just.”

“No…” Akira murmured, shaking his head hesitantly. He knew there was some form of truth to Akechi’s words, but it certainly wasn’t all Akechi’s decision. “That was all Shido’s orders.”

“Don’t make excuses for me. I have to take credit,” Akechi said sharply, his eyes full of discontent, appearing more vexed by Akira’s declaration. “I _did_ agree to do his bidding, if only to grow closer to him and strike when the moment was right.”

It was quite surprising that Akechi allowed himself to open up to Akira of the matter as well. He didn’t think that the detective would have admitted this to him, taking into account how rare it was for Akechi to reveal his true feelings. Considering Akechi’s difficulty on showing his true identity, it was disheartening to see how easily Akechi had revealed everything so simply.

“But I was only being played like a fiddle by him,” Akechi said, before choking out in a pained whisper. “How humiliating.

The intense, furious demeanor Akechi was exhibiting quickly waned down to hopelessness, similar to a lion’s fierce roar fading down to a puppy’s whimper. This had to be the only time Akechi had bared himself fully and allowed Akira to see his vulnerability, other than their moment in the engine room.

Despite his reluctance to fully trust Akechi for his past misdemeanors, including the cruel deed where the detective shot his cognitive self in the head, Akira wanted to comfort the distressed teen. His chest clenched painfully in sorrow for the other and he wanted nothing more to reassure him.

“Akechi, you were-”

His words were quickly cut off.

“Don’t.” Akechi stated tersely. “One of your biggest flaws is being too kind, even towards an enemy who doesn’t deserve empathy of any sort. I suggest you fix that – I’d assume Ren has already done so.”

That wasn’t entirely true.

He wasn’t exactly as kind as Akechi claimed him to be.

Akira had no emotions of sympathy towards any of the people they rebelled against. They all had shameless desires that tainted the world in an abhorrent fashion that always drove him to change their distorted hearts.

However, just like how Akira came to expect, before he could say anything more, Akechi swiftly shifted into a different tune. He went from being desolate back to his usual composed self, looking as imperturbable as he always did.

“So, after coming to terms that I was still alive, I presented myself in front of Sae, fully intending on turning myself in. I figured that I could be used as a prime witness in Shido’s case and compensate for everything I’ve done.” Akechi said serenely, his head titled curiously. “But she was acting… odd.”

“Odd how?” Akira whispered, his mind not entirely on the same wavelength as Akechi.

They had switched the subject so quickly that Akira was still recovering from the whiplash of the raw emotions Akechi had been pouring out earlier. Akira was still trying to collect himself like Akechi had done in a split second.

“She was praising the Phantom Thieves,” Akechi said with a frown, reaching up with a finger like he usually did to contemplate. “It was like her heart had changed. I wouldn’t put it behind me if Ren had decided to deal with her to avoid any suspicion from her.”

It would’ve made sense if Ren had decided to do so.

With their decision not to take her treasure, her palace had still been standing tall until after his interrogation where she soon realized her own distorted desires and changed her heart by herself.

If Ren decided to alter Sae’s heart, it would have to be in the depth of Mementos, where everyone’s heart was contained.

“I still had vague memories of her sister then, so I decided to ask Sae about her, but she only stared at me like I had lost my mind,” Akechi said, shaking his head. “It felt like I had, and it was only then, I realized my memories were obscure.”

The only dilemma Akira couldn’t figure out was the loss or regression of the memories revolving his friends.

Perhaps it was Yaldabaoth’s doing.

The only idea he had was right after they had attempted to fight the Holy Grail, only for the chalice to send them back to Shibuya once they were defeated by it. When they had returned, it was alarming to see their bodies fade away as the public’s belief in them dwindled down to nothing.

Since Ren had actually accepted Yaldabaoth’s deal, that would mean his friends were still in the Velvet Room, contained in their prison cells as they rot in there as the months slowly roll by.

It was a chilling thought.

“Then, it struck me that there had been a lot of unnecessary talk of the Phantom Thieves. There was a larger following than usual, worshipping them like a god.” Akechi’s voice snapped Akira out his train of thought, causing his shoulders to tense visibly, as he processed the words.

The blind idolization of the Phantom Thieves sounded like the same clutter of noise that Akira had heard earlier today. Though, Akira supposed he shouldn’t be entirely surprised. Yaldabaoth did offer him a world where he was praised and loved.

“It didn’t take me long to discover the Phantom Thieves were not as honest as they had been before,” Akechi said, before “Which meant I couldn’t turn myself in, not when Ren is going around, altering hearts from left and right. I needed to make things right for society.”

Akira blinked, eyes widening in surprise at the words tumbling out of Akechi’s mouth. Although, he supposed he should’ve expected them, but it was still shocking, nonetheless, to hear such words from someone, whose goal had changed drastically from his prior objective of vengeance.

“Before all of this, I’ve always seen Ren as a symbol for free will, but that has clearly changed now. He can’t really be an advocate if he’s conditioning people to act the way he wants them to at the slightest word of displeasure towards the Phantom Thieves.”

This was all starting to sound like a reversal of their roles. A noble thief that changed rotten hearts of corrupted adults switching over to a thief stealing hearts for fame and popularity and a deceitful detective that had treacherous intentions – now turned into a detective with pure ideals for true justice.

Unfortunately, Akira was the one stuck in the middle of the conflict, despite desiring nothing more than to settle down in his home.

“Thus, I went back into my role as a detective with a new ambition in mind,” Akechi stated, eyes holding a new light within his russet orbs. “It was surprisingly easy to fall back into the job, almost sickeningly so.”

“I’d imagine,” Akira said, thinking of how easily it was for the masses to yield to the Phantom Thieves.

He’d assume it would be easy for Akechi to maneuver his way back into the police force, considering the fact that half their hearts were probably changed to be compliant and docile. Akechi also had a way of speaking that enticed people so he figured it wasn’t a huge obstacle to go through.

“Once I was back as a detective, I figured it would be best to contact Ren. However, every time I tried to call Ren for answers, there was never a response. I always tried to meet him by going to Leblanc, even at times I normally wouldn’t visit, but he was never around. It’s almost like he has surveillance around the cafe that notifies him whenever I’m about to appear.”

Akechi looked displeased, his lips curled down in a frustrated frown, as he told Akira his efforts in contacting Ren. It appeared as if Ren was going through great lengths to avoid Akechi and Akira could only guess the reasons why.

“I’ve been trying to grasp his attention for months now,” Akechi said, before intently locking his auburn eyes to Akira’s. “I must admit, the interview from earlier was my last resort but like a wish come true, you answered.”

“Speaking of your interview, I heard some gossip from the public about the mental shutdowns. I’m surprised they found out,” Akira said, recalling the hostile responses from the audience.

“Yes, that…” Akechi’s nose crumpled in displeasure. “Someone amongst Shido’s close circle had their heart altered and they ended up confessing every bit of information about Shido and the person responsible for the mental shutdowns.”

Akechi shook his head, skepticism portrayed in his expression.

“I’m surprised I haven’t been interrogated by the law enforcement for the rumors,” Akechi stated softly, before his face became stiff in a humorless look. “Though, everything is unusual these days.”

Akechi’s statement only solidified Akira’s desire to act. If everything was as bad as Akechi had claimed, then they need to restore everything back to the way it needs to be – the same form of a world that Akira had left behind, with people acting in the manner they want to.

“If you want to bring down the Phantom Thieves, then I’m going need your help to-”

Akira was abruptly interrupted by Akechi, who interjected frankly with a straight face.

“Explore Mementos?”

Akira paused, tilting his head in question. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised to hear Akechi know the clear answer. The other must’ve been paying attention when he was speaking before Ren had called.

“Oh, so you were listening to me earlier?” Akira asked, raising an eyebrow in wonder.

“Was I not supposed to?”

“Well, I thought you might’ve written me off as a lunatic after the first few sentences out of my mouth.”

Akira didn’t think Akechi had been likely to pay attention to him when he was spouting stuff such as being from another world. It was somewhat of a shock to see that Akechi had been focusing on him carefully while assimilating everything that tumbled out of his mouth.

He would’ve expected for the detective to stop him abruptly while Akira was talking and interrogate him for every little sentence that he uttered. Either that or kick him out of his home for being deranged.

“I was thinking something along the lines,” Akechi claimed, before delivering a serious look to Akira. “But even you can’t fake emotion as well as you displayed so earlier.”

At Akechi’s response, Akira opened his mouth, before shutting it.

He supposed he was quite invested in telling his story to the detective, recounting all that had happened like it was occurring that same moment he was with Akechi. All the emotions throbbing in his chest as severely as it had felt going through the trials with his friends.

“You’re really putting your investigative skills to the max, aren’t you?” Akira stated light-heartedly, before declaring, “Although, yes, we are going to need to delve deeper into Mementos.”

Akechi stayed silent for a few seconds, looking as if he was mulling over their options.

“Tomorrow, we’ll discuss more about heading to Mementos,” Akechi finally said, before pursing his lips thoughtfully. “In the evening, we’ll see about exploring it, but I wouldn’t recommend diving straight into it without preparing. We should wait a couple more days.”

Akira wanted to insist that they should go to Mementos tomorrow, but a yawn slipped out of his lips instead. Thinking about it, he was more exhausted than he realized. It had been a pretty long day.

“It is getting rather late,” Akechi stated, starting to look as fatigued as Akira felt with the circles under his eyes appearing darker than they had before. The detective removed himself away from the wall, before saying, “It’s nearly midnight.”

“I need a place to stay,” Akira said bluntly. Watching Akechi gaze back at him with a deadpan expression, Akira asserted firmly, “At least until I’m back at my own world.”

Akechi narrowed his eyes, as he approached Akira, who stared at the detective cautiously.

He seriously hoped he didn’t have to argue with Akechi on the reason he needed to stay in the apartment. It was too late for him to even try to find shelter and he was pretty certain he didn’t even have his wallet to stay at an inn.

“Listen, I need somewhere to crash at unless you’re fine with me sleeping out in the alley,” Akira said, hoping that the newly acquired gleam in Akechi’s eyes didn’t hint approval towards his suggestion.

A contemplative hum, as Akechi brought up a finger to his chin, his eyes flickering to the door in speculation.

“I’m sure the dark backstreets will be more secure than my home will ever be,” Akechi said, before the classic poised smile he always had spread upon his face. “In here, you’ll never know if you’ll even wake up.”

Akira’s gray eyes nearly popped out of his sockets, shocked to hear such foreboding words from the detective. Well, considering the fact that Akechi was more than willing to shoot a bullet into his head, he wouldn’t put it behind him if the detective decided to make good of his words.

“Uh, is that a threat?” Akira nearly yelped out, his voice rising to the pitch of a mouse’s squeal, slightly concerned that the detective was speaking seriously.

However, the graceful smile on Akechi’s face widened into an amused smirk, most likely pleased from Akira’s startled response. Akira supposed he should’ve been glad that it appeared to be a humorous gag, at least to Akechi.

“Oh, were you were joking?” Akira said hesitantly, uneasily looking at Akechi.

He should’ve expected Akechi to be the one that had a morbid sense of humor. He always expected the detective to be a little dry when it came to comedy but instead, it seemed as if his wit was darker than Akira expected.

It was quite dreadful to Akira, since Akechi had actually attempted to murder him. Though, Akira would rather take a joke than an actual threat.

“There should be a blanket for the couch in the cabinet over there,” Akechi answered instead, turning his back towards Akira, who peered deeply into the detective’s back, urging the teen to face him.

“I’m also hungry, I haven’t eaten all day,” Akira piped up, frowning when Akechi refused to shift his head around and look at him.

“Help yourself to the fridge.” Akechi walked away, stopping briefly at the kitchen to recycle his water bottle, before heading towards the direction of a narrow hallway. “I’ll be resigning for the night.”

Then, Akechi was gone, leaving Akira alone in the bare living room. Feeling his stomach rumble, Akira shifted his gaze to the kitchen with a petulant frown. Not only was he treated as if he were a hindrance, Akechi didn’t offer him any essentials such as a toothbrush, night clothes, or a warm bath.

Standing up from the couch, Akira headed towards the kitchen. He supposed he could help himself to some food before going to sleep. If he was fortunate enough, maybe he’ll wake up in his own bedroom with Morgana next to him. 

Though, Akira doubt it’ll happen.

 

 

 

The only perk of being thrown into another world, Akira supposed, was not having a certain cat wake him up by repeatedly yowling into his ear as he attempted to continue sleeping. Most times, he wasn’t able to fall back to sleep without Morgana nagging him about his responsibilities and breakfast.

However, one of the downsides of not having Morgana he soon learned, was how much earlier Akechi liked to wake up.

Akira had been sleeping comfortably on the leather couch, which was surprisingly more comfortable than the old, lumpy mattress he had been snoozing on at the attic of Leblanc, when his ears picked up the sound of footsteps slowly increasing in volume as someone approached closer to him.

The thumping of the loud steps hadn’t bothered Akira, who only heard the hammering in a distant fog. He continued to keep his eyes closed and slumber in his warm embrace with the blanket that was wrapped tightly around him.

Unfortunately, a grating voice had spoken up, repeatedly disturbing him from his sleep with its attempt to stir him. The aggravating noise spoke up again, sounding even more deafening and even had the nerve to sound as irked as Akira felt.

With a sleepy grumble, Akira turned away from the voice, wrapping his soft blanket over his head, drawing an exasperated response from the thing behind him.

Suddenly, his lifeline of a blanket was pulled away from him brutally like an infant torn from a mother’s womb, jarring him awake. The hand that slammed down on his head didn’t improve his mood, only disturbing him even further.

Akira opened his eyes wearily, trying to bat away the fogginess clouding his head. He didn’t want to face the perpetrator responsible yet.

“Good morning, Kurusu,” a pleasant voice said, irksome to Akira’s ears. “Are you awake now?”

With an exhausted yawn, Akira sat up on the couch, sleepily rubbing his eyes. Then, he turned his head to face the person guilty of cruelly waking him up, fixing a sluggish glare towards the culprit.

However, the sight he was greeted to had Akira’s eyes widening and a quiet, stunned gasp releasing from him. Any signs of exhaustion were wiped away at the sight of Akechi’s wardrobe.

The detective was dressed in what appeared to be sportswear. Akechi donned a bright yellow short-sleeved jersey, tight-fitting shorts that looked as if it fit snuggly on him, and a pair of athletic fingerless gloves on his hands.

His active wear was definitely accentuating his figure nicely. With Akechi wearing shorts, Akira was able to tell that the brown-haired teen must’ve worked out frequently from how toned his body seemed to be. His thighs looked sturdy, his calves’ firm, and his biceps perfectly fit. 

Then, there was also Akechi’s rear, which was also quite nicely –

No.

Akira couldn’t possibly be thinking about Akechi’s form at a time like this, despite how pleasantly smooth and sturdy his athletic body appeared. It was too inappropriate during a dire time like this. He needed to focus on his objective in this world with a little more direct concentration.

Feeling his cheeks flush at his embarrassing thoughts, Akira jerked his head towards the window. He couldn’t believe he was actually appraising Akechi’s body. Those sorts of thoughts have dissolved a long time ago and he intended on keeping it that way.

“Are you going to exercise?” Akira uttered, observing outside. There was not a shred of sunlight peeking through the window, which meant it was still early – _too_ early for him to be awake. “It’s still dark outside. Can you even see where you’re going?”

“I often wake up at the crack of sunrise to go cycling and yes, I can usually see where I’m headed,” Akechi said, rolling his arms back in effort to crack his back.

“Oh,” Akira said dumbly, before clearing his throat. “Clearly.”

Akechi stared at him oddly and Akira couldn’t help but feel his cheeks redden further. He was a lot more composed than this. Exactly why he was losing his cool at something as ridiculous as this?

“I find that this is normally the best time to go cycling. There aren’t many people awake at this time, so it’s easier for me to maneuver my bike where I want it to be steered.”

“Right…” Akira said blankly.

“But in the meantime, I think it’s best if you don’t leave this apartment. We don’t want any more people recognizing you,” Akechi said, eyes narrowed at Akira cautiously. Akira blinked in perplexity before staring at Akechi with a frown, suddenly feeling his exhaustion roll out of him in waves.

 “Don’t worry, I’ll come back with coffee.” Akechi said, before saying in a patronizing tone, sounding like he was chiding Akira as if he were a child, “So, be on your best behavior in here.”

Akira could feel his eye twitch in annoyance, sending a dirty look into Akechi’s back as the teen walked out the door, leaving Akira alone in the silent and dark apartment. Unfortunately, he was wide awake, which meant he wasn’t going back to sleep any time soon.

It also meant that Akira wasn’t going to sit still in Akechi’s home like the detective wanted him to. Akira wasn’t the type of person to be commanded around like an obedient dog. Akechi’s concerns didn’t matter to him – he wasn’t going to be chained down in Akechi’s stuffy apartment with nothing to do.

With a scoff, Akira stood up from the couch, yawning as he pulled out his phone to check the time.

Akechi was talking to the wrong person if he expected him to just listen and stay in the apartment compliantly. It was clearly the perfect moment for Akira to leave and use his time to his own benefit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this story seems like an overload of information but I feel like there were still a few questions that needed to be answered. 
> 
> I also uploaded this yesterday but I quickly deleted it because I wanted more time to proof read and edit some of the mistakes I made. 
> 
> BTW, my orignal end notes had the note, ‘this chapter will pick up with next chapter,’ with me forgetting that I said that the past two chapters so I’m accepting that this will indeed be kind of a slow burn story.
> 
> ANYWAYS, i have final exams next week so not looking forward to that but hopefully there will be another update before the new year if i'm feeling productive!


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